KPJ4 - The Lapras Legacy
by LemurKat
Summary: Kataryna and Kameron's adventures continue - with many more Pokemon secrets revealed!
1. Default Chapter

**__**

Bye, Bye Buru

Above us the stars twinkled merrily in the midnight blue sky. We lay atop the roof of the two-storey building staring into the infinity of space.

"Look!" Kameron exclaimed, "its Tauros." He pointed at something indistinguishable in the heavens.

"Really?" I replied, staring at the seemingly shapeless scattering of stars.

"See, there's the horns, the body, one tail, two tails!" He replied happily.

"Yeah, I can see it now."

Kameron rested his head on his hands. "So, what do you really want out of life?" He suddenly asked.

This startled me. I shrugged. "I guess I just want to be free and happy, spending my life with my Pokemon, and with you, of course!"

Kameron grinned in his cute impish fashion. He kissed me on the nose. It had been several months since we had defeated Alakazam by the shores of Lake Eerie. Since then we had returned to Siryntown and I was attending lectures on Pokemon Ecology whilst Kameron had gotten a job working in a supermarket. I had learnt a lot and Doctor Frances Warwick was always giving us new ideas, and occasionally, adventures. We had no idea what had become of Jessie and James, I suspected they had either tried to return to Team Rocket (who were still, as far as we knew, leader-less) or made a break for it. Surely we would see them again, one day.

After a while, the roof got too cold, so we retreated inside. We were staying in the Halls of Residence of Siryntown University. Doctor Frances had pulled some rather extreme strings to get us in there, since we were both too young, and Kameron was not even attending lectures. I did odd jobs around campus between lectures – cleaning, gardening, baby-sitting. You name it!

"So what's your aim in life?" I asked Kameron as we sat down on the bed (we had individual rooms at separate ends of the dormitory, thank you very much, Kameron was just visiting me).

"Oh come on," Kameron exclaimed, "I'm fifteen, my aim in life is to have fun and party hard." He paused, "or something like that."

I grinned. "I think the Doctor would disagree with that," I said mischeviously.

Florion came over and clambered onto the bed with me. All of my Pokemon were wandering free around the room, somewhere or other. It was not a big room and Maki and Kiki were currently curled up on top of the book shelf, tails wrapped around each other in a blueish/grey blur, Ozmos was asleep under the bed, lying partly on top of a pizza box. Razor was in the sink, shooting moths with his bubble attacks, Snuggles was watching the tiny black and white tv. Dragosi flapped around outside, scaring students sneaking out or in of the dorms, and Florion was trying to keep us company. I stroked his furry green back.

"Flori!" He said happily.

"I know," I said, "you guys are bored, and I'm getting that way too. I think we need a new adventure."

As if on cue, the phone rang.

Kameron bet me to it. "Hello?"

He paused, putting his hand over the mouthpiece, "it's Doctor Warwick!" He hissed. "He wants to talk to you."

I took the phone off him. "Hi there, how's things?"

"Oh, good, good," came the Doctor's tinny voice. "I'm sorry to call so late (it was 9.30 pm), but I have some interesting news. It appears a pod of Lapras have been sited around the Orange Islands. I was thinking you might be interested in going to check them out."

"Sure thing!" I replied excitedly. I loved Lapras, not that I'd ever seen one, but I had always wanted to. "So how do I get there?"

"Well, I've booked you a ticket on the bus to the nearest city on land," the Doctor replied. "But I'm afraid you'll have to find your own way across there. Sorry."

"How did you know I'd go?" I asked, curious that he'd already booked the ticket.

"Oh, I knew," he replied slyly. "I've been watching you lately and I see that you're getting a little bored with the life around here. You want some excitement, and I'm sure you'll find some. You seem to have a knack for that kind of thing."

"Thanks, I think," I answered slowly.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then," Doctor Frances added, "I'll give you the tickets after the lecture. Still got your Pokedex?"

"Yep." I still had it, although I kept forgetting to use it. "See ya!"

I hung up and grinned at Kameron. "We're going to the Orange Islands!"

"Cool!"

The shuttle trip was, as per usual, rather boring, and it took us several days to get there, staying in Pokemon Hostels. It was probably better than walking however. If we walked we would never get to see the Lapras, after all.

We stopped at midday in a small city, whose name I didn't catch. The next day we would be taking the shuttle the final part of the journey, to the town by the sea. Bored and stiff from sitting all day, Kameron and I decided to take a walk.

"Look at that kid," he exclaimed, "she's asking for trouble!"

A small girl, probably no more than eight, was skipping along the middle of the road, holding a rose between her hands. She appeared to be singing to herself.

"I think there's something wrong with her," I muttered. "We better go and get her off the road."

No sooner had I said that, then a large truck came roaring down the road. The little girl turned and clapped her hands in delight.

"Dragosi!" I cried, calling forth my Dragon-fly Pokemon. "Grab that child, quickly!"

"Draaaa!" The powerful purple dragon swooped out of the air. Time seemed to slow, or at least, the truck did. Probably seeing a large purple dragonfly swoop down in front of you was enough to make you pump on the brakes. The little girl screamed (well, wouldn't you?) as Dragosi swooped down and grabbed her in his forearms. He deposited her in front of us.

She made to run away, and then suddenly saw Maki.

"Poke!" She said, clapping her hands delightedly.

Maki didn't know what to make of this. He jumped onto her shoulder and sniffed her hair. Kiki followed suit.

"Maki?" He asked.

"Maki murr!" Kiki appeared to agree.

"Maki!" The girl shouted, clapping her hands. In the middle of the road, her fallen rose lay, crushed by the tuck, petals dispersing with the wind. She did not appear to realise how close to death she had become.

"I'm Kataryna," I informed her, "who may you be?"

She glanced at me for a moment, her blue eyes seemingly blank, devoid of recognition. She turned back to Kiki and patted the Makimur on the head.

"Makimur," Kiki purred happily.

I looked at Kameron. "I think she's a little wrong in the head," I said as delicately as possible. "Where do you think she came from?"

The brown haired young man merely shrugged, "we better take her to the Police Station. Perhaps they know something."

"Ok, where is it then?" I asked him.

Kameron rolled his eyes in exasperation. "We passed it walking here," he replied, "have you no memory?"

"It appears not."

As usual, Kameron was right. We had passed the station walking here. We ducked inside, dragging the child along with us (she seemed willing to go wherever Maki and Kiki did). The Officer behind the desk was male (surprise!) and peered at us over his small glasses.

"Hello," he said, "what have we here?"

"We found her playing in the middle of the road and thought she shouldn't be out alone," I informed him. "I'm Kataryna, and this is Kameron. Do you know who she is?"

He nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. Little Rosie Miller. Her parents were killed in a car crash a few months ago and she hasn't been the same since. She's supposed to be in the Orphanage, but she escapes on occasion. I'll give them a call."

He glanced at Rosie, but she was happily playing with the Makimurs. He then went to the telephone.

"Poor kid," Kameron muttered, "I wonder if there's anything we could do to help her?"

"She seems to like my Pokemon," I replied, "and doesn't even notice us. Perhaps there's something in that."

Kameron stroked his chin. "Maybe…"

A short while later a harried woman came running in. "Rosie!" She cried, scooping up the child in her arms. Rosie appeared not to even notice this.

"Maki," she said, still talking to the Makimur.

"Thank you!" The woman said to us, "I'm Vanessa Warner, I run the local orphanage and I thank you so much for finding Rosie. She's a little rebel, and can climb the fence with ease. "Oh, I wish I had some help around here!"

"Perhaps we could help," Kameron suggested. "Rosie seems to like Kat's Pokemon, perhaps the other kids would too."

I was somewhat startled by this sudden show of kindness from Kameron, certainly he was a kind boy, but to offer assistance to someone we did not know, that was a new one. I think Alakazam had changed him, the same way he'd changed me.

A little of infinite gratitude crossed Vanessa's face. "Oh would you?" She said, "the kids would be so happy. They love Pokemon, but I can't afford them, the government gives us precious little money as it is!"

"We'll be there tomorrow," Kameron replied. He'd forgotten something. We both had.

* * *

Morning came, and with it, realisation. "We have to catch the bus today!" I informed him. "If we go to the orphanage, we'll miss the bus!"

"But we can't desert the kids." Kameron muttered. "How far are we from the shore?"

I shrugged, "two, three days walk, probably. I think a bunch of orphans are more important then us getting to the Lapras tomorrow. Let's help them."

"Makiki!"

"Makimurr!"

"Yeah!" It was unanimous. 

The Orphanage was an impressive sight, with its towering gothic buildings and sturdy gate. It did not look like a happy place for children and it looked like a real pain to heat! We marched up to the gate and walked in. Tall trees framed the pathway and there were a couple of children here. One was a boy, of about twelve, the other one was a pretty little girl with red hair tied in pigtails.

"Hey, are you the kids with the Pokemon?" The boy asked, somewhat unnecessarily as Maki sat on my shoulder and Kiki on Kameron's.

"Of course," Kameron said cheerfully.

"Yah!" The girl cheered. "I'm Bethany and this is Josh. We love Pokemon. Do you have a Clefairy? I love Clefairy?"

I shook my head, "I'm afraid we don't have a Clefairy. They're very rare. So rare I've never even seen one."

"How about Charizard?" Josh asked.

"I have something better than a Charizard. Come on out Dragosi!"

"Drago siiii!" The large purple dragonfly soared into the air, turning a loop and swooping over Josh's head.

"Cool!" He said, mouth gaping. Bethany tried to hide behind me.

"It's scary," she said.

"Nah," I replied, "Dragosi may look scary but he's really friendly, come on down, Dragosi." He landed beside me and let me scratch his head. 

"Can I ride him?" Josh asked, typical boy-style.

"Probably not a good idea, yet," Kameron said. "We should talk to Vanessa first."

Bethany ran down the path, "Vanessa!" She shouted.

A moment later Vanessa appeared through the arched doorway, a cluster of small children around her. "You made it!" She said happily.

"So, would you like to meet my Pokemon?" I asked the children.

However, they had already surrounded me.

"Do you have a Pikachu?"

"A Jigglypuff?"

"Charmander?"

"Butterfree?"

Etc, etc.

To shut them up, I pulled out my Pokeballs.

"These are my Pokemon," I said, "Ozmos, Florion, Snuggles," I glanced around, spying a pond, "Razor, come on out and say hi!"

"Ooh, a Vaporeon," one of the young boys exclaimed, "I love vaporeon. But she has fins!" Ozmos, pleased at the admiration, came over and nuzzled him.

"Vap?" She said. "Vap vap oreon!"

"Flori!" Florion came over to see what his "beloved" was up to.

The children of course were surrounding them now. But there were only about fifteen children, so it wasn't too stressful on my Pokemon. Kameron took out his Pokeballs too.

"Dancer, Shrubslash, Marrill, Flareon, come on out and play!"

Marrill bounced out and went over to the fishpond, to play with Razor. She threw piece of bark into the air and Razor hit them with surprising accuracy. Several of the children went over to investigate, more than a couple of them receiving wet faces from the Seadra with a sense of humour.

"Can we battle them?" One of the older boys asked.

"Only if they want too," I replied, "and only if you stop before they hurt themselves."

"Cool!" He looked at Flareon and Ozmos. "Hey, you two Eevee thingies, wanna mock battle?"

Flareon narrowed his eyes. "Flare!" He spat.

"Vap!" She agreed. It seemed the two were not the best of friends.

"Flori flori!" The grass Eeveelution sounded concerned.

"Vap oreon, oreon," Ozmos reassured him. He still didn't seem too happy.

"What's wrong with you Sandslash?" One of the more astute kids asked.

"He evolved himself with a Leaf stone," Kameron explained. "You two behave," the second part was aimed at the Eeveelutions.

Two boys took positions behind Ozmos and Flareon, at opposite ends of the field. Nobody but me noticed that Flareon winked at the Vaporeon.

"Ok, Vaporeon, water gun it!"

"Flareon, dodge and retalliate with a flamethrower."

Vaporeon turned and lightly sprayed the boy with water and Flareon coughed up a couple of smoke rings.

The other kids laughed, but the two boys looked embarrassed, and in one case, wet.

"Vap vap vap."

"Flare flar flar." The two Eeveelutions laughed.

I then realised that I hadn't seen Snuggles for a while. Maki and Kiki were playing checkers with some young girls (when I say "playing", I mean nibbling on the pieces and moving them randomly around the board), Dragosi was perched on the roof (some of the younger kids were scared of him). Shrubslash was chopping the grass and showering the children in clippings, Marrill and Razor were in the pond, playing some sort of bizarre spitting-in-your-face game and Dancer was delighting one little girl by somersaulting through the sky. But no Snuggles.

I went off to find him. I wandered around the corner of the huge gothic building, and there was Rosie, sitting on a huge concrete step. She was crying, and Snuggles sat beside her, his short arms hugging her skinny body.

I did not want to interrupt, so I stood there and watched.

"Mummy and Daddy have gone to Heaven," Rosie informed Snuggles, who responded by hugging her closer. 

"Buru ru," he said sadly.

"And now I have to live here all alone. I don't wanna make friends. What if they die too?" She paused, staring at Snuggles, "sometimes I wish I had gone to Heaven with them."

"Ru, ru ru ruu!" Snuggles disagreed with that emphatically. 

She patted him on his large head. "I know, but then I wouldn't be all alone."

I turned and walked back to the group. It was the most cohesive and in touch with reality I had ever seen Rosie, and she had to sort out herself. If my Buru could help, that was all well and good.

An hour later, my Pokemon were worn out, so I recalled most of them (except the Makimurs and Snuggles) and we went inside for the tour, and also for lunch. Vanessa was very grateful for our help, we had brightened up the kids morning.

Lunch was a fairly desultory affair, sandwiches and fruit, but I did share it with my Pokemon. Rosie had joined us again, she held Snuggles by the hand but still appeared to be away with the faeries, so to speak. The Buru, on the other hand, refused to be taken away from her and I didn't even attempt to recall him. He was such a sweet natured creature that I trusted him thoroughly. If anyone could help this child, it was he.

After lunch, was class. Vanessa made me talk about my Pokemon here. I would call one out of its ball, sit it on the desk, and tell the class a bit about what it was, where I'd found it, and any particularly interesting information I knew about the species in general. Florion was the most unusual, and therefore, I had many question to answer about him. It was late afternoon by the time we bid the children farewell.

"Bye Kataryna, bye Kameron, bye Maki and Kiki!" They said loudly, and then each one insisted on hugging us (and the Makimurs too).

Vanessa thanked us with gratitude. "You've certainly brought a little ray of light into their lives," she said.

I looked at Snuggles, who was still clinging to Rosie's hand. "I'm sorry Snuggles, but we have to go now."

The Buru looked up at me, and squeezed Rosie's hand, giving her a hug and walked slowly and unenthusiastically over to me.

He turned and looked back at Rosie, who had tears streaming down her cheeks, crying silently and staring at him.

"Buru?" He looked up at me sadly. "Bu ru ru." Turned his head to look at Rosie. "Burururu."

I crouched down so that I could look him in the eyes. "Snuggles," I said slowly, carefully, "if you want to stay with Rosie, I'll let you. You don't have to come with me if you don't want to." I was beginning to feel sad myself. But what life was mine really for the gentle soul? I had adventures, and Snuggles had the wrong sort of personality for adventures. He wanted to help people, and I could whole-heartedly support that.

"Buru?" He looked at both of us, hugged me and darted back to Rosie, grabbing her hand enthusiastically.

"Bye Snuggles," I said sadly.

"Bu bu," he replied.

Rosie smiled happily, looked up at me. "Thank you Miss Kataryna," she said.

And that was all the reward I needed.


	2. Shades of Eevee

Shades of Eevee

****

Part One

The rain was never ceasing. It pelted down on us like a waterfall. I drew my thin coat tightly about my shoulders and Kameron hid inside his trenchcoat like some type of Sheldur. He'd offered me the coat twice, but both times I'd declined, it was his coat and I had my own. Maki and Kiki had already abandoned me for Kameron's trenchcoat pockets.

"We have to find shelter soon," I muttered, feeling the cold chill of early pneumonia (ok, it wasn't that bad, but it _could_ have been.

"MAkimakimakiMURR!" Kiki, who had sharper eyesight than Maki, suddenly shrieked, pointing at something through the trees.

It was a house. A very old house which looked like it had been abandoned for years.

Beggars, however, could not be choosers.

"Kameron," I said, peering through the torrential rain. "It's a house, maybe someone lives there who can help us!"

Kameron nodded in agreement and we picked our way across the mud that had once been a path and onto the front porch.

Up close, the house was more dilapedated than it had appeared from the distance. The porch sagged under our weight, but at least the verandah kept out the rain. We huddled on the porch and Kameron knocked on the door.

We did not expect and answer, and were not surprised when we received none.

Kameron shrugged, "it's empty," he said (a fairly obvious fact really, all the windows were broken and the door hung off its frame like an injured beast). "I think we should go in."

"Makiki!" ("Yes, please!").

"But, it could be haunted," I muttered.

This earned a crooked grin from Kameron. "Oh Kat," he said, "we've fought the world's nastiest Alakazam, are you really frightened of a little ghost?"

I shrugged. "Well… I guess not."

So in we went.

The inside was almost worse than the outside. It had a classic "haunted house" look, mouldering furniture, broken floorboards, strange noises… But the roof did not appear to leak and we were cold and wet. I removed my backpack and sorted through it to find a towel and a change of clothes. 

"Wait here, Kameron," I said, "I have to go change."

Kameron grinned wryly and I could see he was preparing a sly answer. I snarled at him and he looked abashed.

Leaving Maki and Kiki shaking themselves (and spraying water everywhere), I made my way into the first room, changing into my night attire. It was dry, thick and warm and it was not as if Kameron hadn't seen me in my pyjamas before. I thought I heard some sort of noise upstairs, but I quickly realised it must have been the wind. What else would there be in an ancient rambling house in the middle of nowhere? I dreaded to think!

I found Kameron playing with the Makimurs, trying to teach them how to play poker. This was something of an awkward trick. They were too small to hold all their cards, and Maki had spread his out in front of him, face up, whilst Kiki was nibbling on one out of anxiety at not doing it right. I sighed.

"We should get something to eat, if we're going to play cards, let's try something simple like snap."

So, whilst I made us some rather dry sandwiches with the cheese (which was overly sharp) and spam (the meat that *never* goes off!), Kameron tried to teach them how to play Snap.

This also didn't work. Maki decided to "snap" on everything and Kiki thought it was boring and wandered off to explore the house. We had a rather desultory meal and then turned in for the night.

Outside the rain pelted down, a cacophonous roar.

Something awoke me after darktime. Some kind of noise. It sounded like someone was walking around upstairs. I froze, as anyone would in similar situations.

"Kameron," I whispered hoarsely, grabbing his arm.

"Mmbfff," he mumbled, rolling over and pinning my arm to the floor. 

"Wake up," I hissed a little more enthusiastically. Finally he stirred.

"Wha?" Muttered my beautifully cohesive boyfriend.

"I heard a noise!" I whispered.

It did not have the desired effect. "So, it's probably the wind."

And then we heard it again.

Footsteps, bang, bang, bang, SLAM! Somebody had slammed a door…

Kameron jumped against me.

"Now do you believe me?" I queried.

"Umm, I guess, yes," he muttered. "Want to go and investigate?"

I pondered briefly for a moment about staying here, listening to whoever it was padding around upstairs. Something about that idea did not quite appeal to me. I would rather find out who it was then risk something coming down on us during the night… "Yes, lets," I finally concluded.

The four of us advanced up the stairs, trying to be as quiet as possible. Suddenly I felt a cold chill. Maki and Kiki whimpered and crawled into Kameron's pockets (yes, he'd put on the trench coat to go exploring – you don't think he sleeps in the thing, do you?). It was very dark and very, very cold.

"I don't like this," I whispered. Kameron squeezed my hand. We'd been holding hands from the moment we started up the stairs. He was as nervous as I.

_Turn back_, a spectral voice seemed to whisper, forming itself from the air around. I then realised that we were surrounded by dark shadow. Not natural shadow, something much more frightening. _Leave,_ the voice hissed.

I'd just like to note, Kameron was, in fact, the first to make a break for it, dragging me with him. We huddled on the front porch for the rest of the night, clutching to each other like frightened babes. Although, I must confess, I rather enjoyed the closeness.

Dawn brought with it no retreat from the rain. It seemed we were caught in a rainstorm. Or perhaps a vertical river.

"I don't think we can venture out in that," Kameron muttered. "But I don't want to stay here either."

I nodded. "It looks like we're stranded though."

Somehow things didn't seem so bad now the sun was out, no matter how diluted her rays. "Let's explore the house properly," Kameron ventured, "maybe we can find a clue as to what the ghost is!"

"Do you think it might be a Pokemon?" I asked.

He shrugged, "could be, possibly a Haunter or a Gengar."

"But it _talked_," I insisted.

"If it's a talking Gengar, I want to catch it," Kameron said haughtily.

I rolled my eyes. "Trust you!"

The upper storeys of the house were little or nothing. There was some furniture – a mattress so mouldy that it was almost alive, a couch that we dared not sit on. A television with a shattered screen. The latter surprised us – we didn't expect to see a television here!

Upstairs, were several bedrooms, all of them almost empty. In one room I managed to find what might have once been a diary.

"Look at this!" I picked it up and gesticulated at Kameron. There was an Eevee drawn on the cover, pretty crudely, beneath it were the words "th d ar o oct r Rob r Kra en t in." The other letters were worn off. We stared at is blankly.

"Oh come on," Kameron coaxed after a long few seconds, "open it!"

I carefully opened the mildewed book. It smelt of damp and the writing had largely smeared into oblivion. From what I could see, however, it appeared to be a diary of events.

"_25 September – today I managed to _something indecipherable_ an eevee with a_ /Iindecipherable passage _making what I shall call Frosteon. It was very powerful at…_" The rest was more-or-less blurred.

"An Eevee Breeder," I said. "The person who lived here was an Eevee breeder."

"What, you mean he bred Flareons, Jolteons and Vaporeons?" Kameron asked.

I shook my head. "No, he bred mutant Eeveelutions, such as one he called "Frosteon"."

"Frosteon, what kind of boring name is that?"

I shrugged. "I wonder how he did it. Maybe he used different combinations of stones?"

I flipped through the pages, further into the diary.

"_13 December – I fear I have made a horrible discovery, today I created a new stone, composed from the very night itself. I call it the Shadow Stone. When I tested it upon my Eevee, she promptly dropped dead and something black and mist-like came from her body_." I read the passage out to Kameron. He shuddered.

"That's creepy," he whispered, "and wrong, very wrong…"

"I know," I replied, feeling a cold chill down my spine. I turned the page almost against my will.

"_14 December – I am fearful that the Eevee did not die, that she lives in here still, in the darkness, in the walls. I hear her often at night, whispering to me_."

"I don't think I can read any more," I said, handing the diary to Kameron. It was terrible, too terrible to comprehend, but we just felt we could not put it down.

Oh, if you're wondering at this moment where Maki and Kiki are, they were outside. The house frightened them now.

Kameron went visibly pale. "She calls to me every night," he read, "she wants me to come with her to the other side, the spectral plane. I feel the desire to use the Shadow Stone upon myself, to free my soul from this shell it rests in. She whispers to me, I hear the words in my head. I must destroy her, but there is only one way.

"I must use the Shadow Stone again."

Suddenly the room seemed much darker and more oppressive then it really was. Kameron flicked over the page. He was as frightened as I, but compelled to read, just as one is compelled to look at a car accident, even aware they might see something terrible.

"I have done it, I have created another Shadow Eevee, but this one is not the same. It did not die when the stone touched it. Even now it hunts my room, searching for the spectral Eevee, the beast that I created. It looks like the Shadow Eevee, but it has a solid form."

"This is really creepy," I whispered, "can we go outside? We can take it with us."

"Good idea," Kameron agreed without hesitation.

We turned to leave and suddenly we saw it. There it was.

It was twice the size of a Flareon, with an almost intangible, mistlike quality to its black fur. Its eyes were like fires, burning in rage.

"_Shaaaa_," it hissed.

Kameron screamed. The wimp. The Shadow Eevee was blocking the doorway. There was only one escape. We both ran for the window, which was broken (of course) and Kameron clambered through it first, jumping into a nearby tree. I followed his example and clambered out the window. It was a long drop down and I could feel the Shadow Eevee behind me, not physically, but as a cold chill that made spiders of frost dance up my spine. I dropped into the branches of the tree, and into the deluge. Within seconds my clothing was soaked through.

Crouching in the tree, we looked back into the house, into the bottomless red eyes of the Shadow Eevee, and we were very afraid.

As suddenly as it had appeared, the Shadow Eevee dispersed into darkness and was gone.

Kameron immediately perked up. "I think we should catch it!" He said excitedly.

I gave him a sidelong glance. "Are you _mad_?" I queried.

He threw his arms around me and kissed me on the nose. "You know I am!"

I chuckled. "Yeah, too right."

We slogged back to the relative shelter of the verandah, hoping the frightening shadow Pokemon would not come out that far, into the sunlight. And then Kameron pulled out the diary again (you didn't think he left it behind, did you?).

"The two Eevee fought a fearsome battle and it was defeated. It dispersed into shadow. It is gone now. But I can still feel it. I can still feel it. I can still…" Kameron flicked through the pages. "It goes on like that for the next _two_ pages," he whispered. A look of horror crossed his face. "I can not take it anymore," he read, "I must end it now, the voices, the voices won't go away. They won't leave me. Make them go away." He looked at me, his face ashen. "He killed himself," he whispered, "he threw himself out the window."

"Oh come on," I pointed out, "jumping out a window on a two-storey house won't kill you."

Kameron looked horrified. "It does if you tie a rope about your neck," he whispered and threw the book to the ground.

"That's it!" I said. "We're leaving!"

"Shaaaa!" Maki and Kiki, who had been playing on the porch, suddenly dived under Kameron's coat. We turned as one. The Shadow Eevee stood in the porch doorway.

"RUNNNN!" I yelled and made to move. But I could not. I could feel tendrils of shadow holding me back, a great darkness filled the area and we were frozen.

The darkness fell back and we were in a strange place, a room, the basement? I felt as though this were a dream, as though it were not real, for I seemed lighter than a feather.

At a desk, covered in paper, sat a man of middle ages. He was greying about his temples and wearing a lab coat. On his lap, an Eevee slept, curled up in a ball. Sitting before him was what appeared to be an egg-shaped object seemingly composed of shadow. He picked it up and gazed at it.

"Oh, my beauty," he said, "at last I have perfected you, the only Shadow Stone in existence! Now, let them see how powerful my Eeveelutions become!" He held it up. It seemed to suck in the light. The Eevee on his lap squealed and jumped away. He grabbed it, holding it down. Touched the Shadow stone to it.

It flickered with light, squealed, and dropped dead!

Kameron held me close as I shuddered in horror.

Then something dark rose from the prone form. Another Eevee, but not quite an Eevee, for it looked somewhat more like a Flareon, but pure black, so black the light disappeared. Except for its eyes, which glowed like hot coals.

Then the scene cut and we saw him create another Shadow Eevee, the two fought and one was defeated. It coalesced into shadow. And was sucked into the form of the survivor.

"The two became one," Kameron whispered. 

I nodded, my voice stolen by the scene.

Then it cut again, to a latter day scene. How could we tell? Because it showed two people breaking into the basement – a silver haired man and a woman with multi-hued braids.

"Loki and Freyja," I hissed at Kameron, as if he didn't recognise them!

The Shadow Eevee appeared and tried to scare them away, but Loki summoned an Arcanine, and the light of the fire banished the shadow. It dispersed into the walls.

And they opened a box that sat on the table, Freyja using her Kadabra to psychically open the lock. They took out the Shadow Stone. Climbed through the window, the Arcanine still blazing fire at the walls to keep the Shadow Pokemon at bay.

"They stole it!" Kameron shouted. "I get it! You want out help!" The boy used way too many exclaimation marks sometimes.

We returned to the porch, the dark mist cleared and the Shadow Eevee sat before us.

"_Shaaaadeon_," it hissed in a spectral voice.

"You were not evil at all, you merely sought revenge on the Doctor for stealing your body, is that right?" I asked the creature, no longer afraid of it.

"_Shaaaa_," it nodded.

"And you were left here, guarding the Shadow Stone, but now it has fallen into enemy hands?" Kameron queried.

Again, the Shadeon nodded and hissed in agreement.

"I'm guessing you can't leave the house," I interjected.

The Shadow Eeveelution nodded then shook its head furiously.

Kameron pondered for a moment. "You can leave, but can't leave?"

It stepped forward and nudged the diary with its nose. Its fur actually touched me. It felt cold, and very, very delicate, like cloud. "Unless we take something from the house? You can come with us?"

Kameron rolled his eyes and stared at me. "Once again it seems our paths have crossed with Team Rocket, and once again we have been drawn into an adventure that could cost us our lives." He sighed, "don't you sometimes wonder if someone is controlling our existence?"

"Sometimes," I replied, smiling knowingly.

****

Part Two

The first problem quickly become evident – Maki and Kiki were scared of the Shadeon. No, not scared, _terrified_. They crouched close to each other and whimpered every time the great black Eeveelution came near.

I glanced at Kameron, "what are we supposed to do about it?" I asked him.

The Shadeon loped along behind us, a beautiful but frightening sight, with her dark mane and glowing red eyes. She had led us into the basement before we had left and directed us to a strange Pokeball. It was a ghostly silver-white colour. She had, however, resisted being put in it. Kameron had also managed to find another notebook, one that if anything, was more terrifying than the diary.

On the first pages it had a list of Eevees, numbered from 1 to 37 and these had all been evolved using various methods. A fire stone at full moon, a fire stone followed by a thunder stone. Many of the evolutions had resulted in the death of the poor little eevees, others had resulted in strange mutants that had been put down out of mercy. One of the surviving ones indicated a Celesteon, an Eevee evolved with a Moonstone under the gaze of the full moon. The Late Doctor appeared to belief that this Eeveelution was found in the wild, only in lost places, miles from human habitation. Yes, there was a Florion in here, but it had not the look of my Florion, the horn on its head was more like a flower bud and its tail was flatter, not barbed. It was the Shadow Pokemon that scared us the most though. There was but one picture in there – a picture of Shadeon, more-or-less and a brief caption, "if the Dark Eevee, Barakki were evolved with this stone, it would make the most powerful Pokemon in existence."

Frightening, isn't it? Especially now the stone has been stolen.

Suddenly a kid appeared in front of us. "Hey, you guys have Pokemon!" he exclaimed, "wanna fight?"

"Them's fighting words," Kameron replied, trying to sound menacing (and sounding kind of cute instead, ok, me biast!). "What do you say, Kat?"

I shrugged. I had too much to worry about what with my frightened Makimurs. But my Pokemon had been living the lazy life for too long and would probably welcome the chance to playfight – they'd been doing it amongst themselves, much to my annoyance.

"Yeah, why not, if my Pokemon agree to it, they could do with the exercise." I could always pull them out if it got too rough.

"Cool!" The kid replied. "What's that dark thing behind you?"

Shadeon had been leaping through the trees like a shadow. She stopped. "_Shaddd,_" she hissed.

"A Shadeon," I replied.

The kid pulled out his Pokedex. "Shadeon," it said, "the Shadow Pokemon. Further information unknown."

"Is that a new species?" He asked. "Cos, I bet I could beat it!"

"Let's see how you go against my others first, right?" I suggested. I drew out Ozmos, she was easy enough. "Go Ozmos."

"Go Magnemite!" He countered. Smart kid, he knew electric was good against water. "Boy, is your vaporeon _fat_ or what?"

"Vap vap," Ozmos snarled. She plainly wanted to fight now!

"Okay," I instructed, "bubble attack!" A watergun would provide too easy a ladder for the electricity.

"Magnemite, thunder shock!" He countered.

"Mag NE MITE!" The little magnetic Pokemon started to crackle.

Ozmos spat a bubble at it, engulfing it in water at the same point that it attempted the thundershock. It ended up electrocuting itself. The bubble popped and it dropped to the ground, unconscious.

The Vaporeon made a few smaller, proud bubbles.

"Oh, shucks," the kid muttered, "well, it'll never bet my Bulbasaur!"

"Bulba!"

"Ozmos, quick attack!"

"Bulbasaur, use your vine whips."

Alas for poor Ozmos, too many pizza dinners had an adverse effect on her quick attack. Bulbasaur's vine whips caught her and sent her sprawling. I was about to recall her when she crawled to her feet.

"Vaaaap," she snarled.

The blast of water caught the Bulbasaur unawares, but after the initial blast it lowered its head and batted the water away.

"Ice blast!" I yelled. (Yes, I had taught her this attack, finally).

The water hardened, and as Bulbasaur broke it up, it shattered, pelting it with broken ice.

"Leech Seed!" The kid instructed.

"Bulba saur!" The seed flew through the air, bouncing into Ozmos and starting to leech her energy. I hastily recalled her.

"Go Florion!"

"Flori!" 

Florion had heard the fight, and knew Ozmos had been beaten. Therefore, he was fighting mad.

"Pin Needle attack!"

Florion lowered his head, lashing his tail upwards and sending the needles straight at the Bulbasaur. It managed to knock away the first few, but they stuck in its vine whips and the boy had to recall it before it got poisoned.

He cursed. "Flareon, do your stuff!"

"Flare!"

"Ok Florion, razor leaf."

However, Florion was suddenly interrupted.

"_Shaaa_," Shadeon flew over him, landing before the fire Eeveelution. I think she was just impatient and wanted to get going.

The kid looked a little nervous, but he wasn't about to quit now. "Flareon, flame strike!"

"Flare!"

I looked at Kameron and shrugged. "Get out of the way Florion!" I shouted. This was up to Shadeon and I knew we couldn't control it. I just hoped it didn't do too much damage.

As the flame hit it, Shadeon dispersed, becoming a thick black mist, shadow if you like. The boy took a step back. Flareon looked disturbed. It took a deep breath to send more flame at the Shadow Eevee.

But the shadow reached out and consumed it. There was a sort of explosion of fire, and when it cleared, there was nothing to see but Shadeon, perfectly formed again, and… an eevee?

"What did you do to my Flareon!" The kid shouted. He ran forward and picked up the Eevee. "You turned it back into a stupid Eevee. It took me days to find that Fire Stone and ages to train it properly and now its just a stupid Eevee again."

I felt terrible. "Shadeon, come here." I scolded it. Amazingly, the large Shadow Eevee came over, looking at me forlornly. "What did you do that for?"

"_Shaaaa deooon_," she replied. ("I thought you wanted to beat him, so I did. Why are you mad?")

I crouched down so that I was facing her. "I'm sorry," I said, "I just didn't think you would devolve it. Can you turn it back?"

"_Shaaa_," it shook its head.

"Will it wear off?" Kameron asked.

__

"Shaaa," Shadeon shrugged, looking forlorn. I realised she had just wanted to please us, since she knew our Pokemon (and us!) were scared of her. It wasn't as if she had actually hurt the Pokemon, she'd just made it an Eevee again.

"It's okay," Kameron said, kneeling down beside me and hugging the only slightly solid Eeveelution. "You thought you were doing the right thing."

"Hey," the kid shouted, "what are you going to do about my Pokemon?"

It was too much for me, with my stubborn and volatile nature. "There's nothing wrong with an Eevee," I replied, "sometimes they can be quite good fighters, if their Trainers are any good. Besides, why do you have to fight all the time? There are other purposes to Pokemon."

"Yeah," he replied, obviously annoyed. "Like what?"

"Like companions, guardians, friends," I replied, "they protect you from danger and reward you with love."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, it's easy for you to say. You didn't have your strongest Pokemon turned into a stupid Eevee."

He was really starting to irk me. "What's wrong with an Eevee?" I asked, as patiently as I could.

Suddenly there was a loud whirring sound, and a black helicopter landed beside us. The doors opened and two figures jumped out.

"Hey, guys, prepare for chaos!" Loki shouted.

"Yeah," Freyja added, "you know, it never fails!"

"To protect the world from temptation."

"To unite all people in humiliation!"

"To denounce the evils of mischief and love." Loki winked, giving a sly smile.

"To extend our reach to the worlds above!"

"Loki."

"Freyja"

"Team Rocket are back and we're worse then ever!"

"We're also somewhat pissed off!" Freyja added.

The kid gaped. "Who are you guys?"

"Team Rocket," Kameron replied tiredly, "I wondered what happened to you guys after the Lake Eerie incident."

"Well," Loki explained, "we're after something a little more powerful than a measly Makimur today."

"Yeah," Freyja added, "we don't need a stupid Makimur anymore."

"Go Maximur!"

"Go Jynx!"

Unfortunately, after the fight, my Pokemon were tired. I looked at Shadeon. "Go get them?" I suggested.

"_Shaaaa_," Shadeon leapt at them.

But they were prepared. "Go Arcanine!" Loki shouted. The fire dog leapt out and growled, low, deep and disturbing.

"Arcanine, keep them out of the way whilst we steal that Eevee."

"You want my Eevee? Why didn't you say so? What'll you give me for it?"

Loki looked confused. "You want to _sell _me your Eevee?"

"Why not, it's no bloody good to me!"

Loki shook his head. "If that's what you want. Arcanine, keep those meddling kids out of the way." He jumped off the rope and stood before the kid. "Here, have some money." She waved a $100 bill in front of his face.

"You'll give me that much for a stupid Eevee?" The kid asked.

"Yeah, why not, it's not my money." Loki snatched the Eevee from his arms.

"Hey!" 

"Maximur, paralyze him!"

Suddenly the child was unable to move.

Kameron and I were facing similar difficulties, for the Arcanine stood before us, Jynx beside it. Shadeon had disipiated again. Also, I wasn't sure why we should intervene, although it was obvious they were up to something… Stealing Eevees, well, it wasn't as if Eevees were common, but to steal an Eevee over the rest of our Pokemon… that just reeked of something. 

"Go Ozmos!"

"Go Marrill!"

The water Pokemon forced the Arcanine back, but it didn't matter, because suddenly it was recalled and the two Rockets jumped back into their helicopter and it whirred away.

"Dragosi!" I cried, clambering onto its back, "follow that helicopter!"

But a Dragosi with a person on its back, even at full speed, was no match for a helicopter. The black whirly bird quickly banished.

I returned to the ground. "Did they have the stone with them?" I asked Shadeon.

She shook her head. _"Shaaaa shaaadeooon."_ ("I would have sensed it").

I sighed. "Well, where can it be then?"

Kameron suddenly looked up (a lightbulb would have appeared over his head if this were the cartoon). "I know where the local headquaters are, if you like, I'll lead you there!"

"We like!" I said.

"Hey," the kid whined, "they stole my Eevee."

"So," I replied, "you didn't want it anyway."

"He was going to give me money for it, then he took that too."

"Oh, for goodness sake." Kameron pulled out an empty Pokeball. "Here's a ball, go and catch something, we've got better things to do."

He took the ball, then poked his tongue out at us and ran off.

"It wasn't like he wanted to keep it anyway," Kameron muttered. "Trainers, I'll never understand them."

__

"Shaa shaaa," Shadeon reminded us.

"Yeah, right now we have a helicopter to catch. Dragosi, do you mind if we ride you?"

"Si," the dragonfly Pokemon did not seem to mind too badly. 

Kameron and I clambered on. Kameron pointed. "Come on, follow that 'copter!"

__

"Shade onnn," Shadeon shook her head glumly. ("Bleeding amateurs").

The buzz of the dragon-fly's wings droning was the only sound. Kameron clung to my waist as we sat across the broad and somewhat spiky back of Dragosi. Shadeon sat between us, occasionally dancing around the flying Dragonfly as though gravity were a joke. Eventually we sighted a town below, which was good, because Dragosi was starting to tire.

"Ok, touchdown, boy," I said, and Draogsi sunk wearily to the ground. 

"Gosiii," he said tiredly.

"Take a break, Dragosi," I recalled him. "So, Kameron, Shadeon, where's these headquaters?"

Shadeon was sniffing around the town. You have to remember she had spent her entire life trapped in a house. Everything was new to her.

"_Shaaaa shaaaa_!" She hissed.

"We need to find a Pokemon Centre," I stated, "Ozmos and Florion are worn out, as is Dragosi and we're about to fight those dangerous people again."

"It's always the way, isn't it?" Kameron queried.

"Makiki!"

After healing our Pokemon (and scaring small children with the Shadow Eevee) we sat on the curb, staring at the sky. "So now what?"

"We find the local headquaters, charge on in there and steal back the stone." Kameron muttered. "We've done worse."

"Yeah, and nearly died." I squeezed Kameron. "I don't want anything to happen to you again," I said sadly.

"And I don't want anything to happen to you," he replied. "But I think there's someone watching over us. Look!" Suddenly he pointed, "a shooting star!"

We watched the glowing red shape, it seemed almost on top of us. "Make a wish," I said, with a smile. "That's what you're supposed to do."

Kameron whispered something, I could see his lips moving but couldn't hear it. I made a wish myself, basically for happiness and success.

Shadeon seemed to be staring at the star. "_SHAAA!"_ She hissed urgently.

"What?"

She rolled her eyes, and once again enveloped us in shadow. The images formed again, showing us, walking across the field, picking up a glowing rock.

"You want us to find the fallen star?" I asked.

"_Sha sha!"_ She nodded, her black mane flapping.

"Let's go then," Kameron jumped to his feet, helping me up. "Can you find it?"

The Shadow Pokemon shrugged. _"Shaaa_." ("I can try")

An hour later, and we had not yet seen the glowing stone. 

"I'm sure it fell down here," Kameron muttered. "I could have sworn I saw it land just inside the forest." He drew out a Pokeball. "Come on Flareon, Marrill, let's see if we can find this thing."

"Florion, Ozmos, give them a hand."

The Pokemon spread out, sniffing around, but it was I who finally found it. "Look!"

A scorched patch of grass, in the midst of which lay a silver rock, still glowing with the heat of reentry.

"What is it? A moonstone?" Kameron asked.

__

"Sha," Shadeon shook her head. She stared at the stone as though she were afraid of it.

Flareon, however was a little bolder. He marched over and entered the scorched area. "Flare!" He said happily, picking the rock up in his mouth. For a moment there, his jaws glowed with an unnatural silver light. Then suddenly it flickered and went out. Flareon spat and a small blackened lump of charcoal hit the ground.

"You destroyed it!" Kameron yelled. "You destroyed the fallen star!"

"Flare, flare!" Flareon seemed annoyed.

"I guess it wasn't a moonstone then, or it would've done something to him." I replied. Had we of looked up then, we would have noticed that although the sky was clear, the stars twinkling, there was nothing to be seen of the moon, not even a faint sliver.

****

Part Three

Morning came around again, shadows leaving the night, except of course for Shadeon. She had slept on the foot of Kameron's bed, causing him to complain about his feet feeling slightly chilled. I had a sneaking suspicion that she was kind of getting to like us. Who knows? We had introduced her to pizza the night before, although this had led to a squabble between her and Ozmos over the last piece. Although the Makimurs were terrified of the Shadow Eevee, it appeared the other Eeveelutions were not. Maki and Kiki had slept on my pillow, of course. I'd stopped worrying about crushing them in my sleep, they seemed to sense that I was moving and keep out of my way.

"Well, let's go and give Loki and Freyja an early morning wake up call!" I said stretching.

Kameron yawned from the other bed. "Oh, just a little longer," he muttered.

I grinned slyly. "Shadeon," I called.

_"Shaaa?"_

"Do you know what a cold nose attack is?"

She quirked her head on one side and grinned. She could guess and noone had a colder nose than the Shadow Eeveelution! She crawled up the bed, pressing her superbly freezing nose against Kameron's throat.

He leapt awake and Shadeon almost fell off the bed, her claws tangling in the blankets. She tumbled to the floor in a pile of blankets, therefore revealing the rest of Kameron to the cold outside world.

_"Sha sha!"_ She diffused herself through the fabric and shook herself. I'd swear she was laughing.

"You female Arcanine!" Kameron laughed, throwing his pillow at me. 

I caught it, and jumped out of bed, hitting him with it.

"Ooff, quit that!" He tried to grab me, almost pushing me onto the floor. "You're asking for it girl!"

"_Sha sha?"_ Shadeon was intensely confused – she'd never seen two young humans of opposite gender before, especially not having a pillow-and-tickle fight early in the morning. She wasn't sure if we were actually fighting or playing.

I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe. "Ok, quit it, let's go get some breakfast!"

"_Shadeon?"_ She asked. ("More pizza?")

"Oh, not you now too!"

Post-breakfast found us wandering across an old school field to an ancient school building. 

"This is really Team Rocket Headquaters?" I asked, it seemed strange.

"Yes, really," Kameron explained again. "They have different headquaters in every town, so that it's hard to find them. However, in this building, they're only occupying the old gymnasium and neighbouring classrooms."

"What do they use the gym for?"

"Training Pokemon," Kameron explained, "this is the place all the stolen Pokemon of the area go to so as to be trained up properly for Team Rocket's purposes. I'd imagine they're hideously disorganised at the moment, since Alakazam killed off some of the Rockets and scared a great deal of the others away. I doubt they've even got a proper _boss_ yet."

I grinned at him, "you could get the job."

He almost coughed at that. "Me, work as boss of Team Rocket! You know I've never actually stolen a Pokemon in my life!"

I shrugged, "neither have Jessie and James."

"Yeah, but they're hardly bosses in waiting."

Shadeon nudged me urgently in the leg. "_Shaa shaaa deooon_." ("Get on with it.")

"Okay, what's the best way in?"

Kameron grinned at me, "the back way, of course!"

We walked around the gymnasium until Kameron indicated a narrow door labelled "Suppliers Entrance." He drew out his all-purpose Team Rocket id card (funny how he still had that really) and swiped it through the card reader.

It beeped, then bleeped, then bleered.

"Oh Hades!" He cursed. "They've damned well sabotaged my card."

"Run?!" I suggested. We scarpered. So much for that plan!

"Are you sure this will work?" I asked as Dragosi landed us on the roof.

"But of course," Kameron explained, "my brillant schemes oh so really fail. Besides, all gymnasiums must have a sky light." (These are school gymnasiums, not Pokemon fighting gyms, lets keep this a little real!)

"Ok, let's find this thing."

"Makimurr murr!" ("Over there!")

"Well, that was easy. A little too easy." Kameron seemed to be a strange mood. I think he'd watched too much tv last night. We wandered over to the skylight and peered through it.

Far below, through the grime encrusted over years of lack of maintenance (on the glass), we could see the floor was painted like a basketball court, and at the moment, a Jynx and an Arcanine were going up against one another.

The Arcanine blew flame at the Jynx, which seemed to force it away with some kind of hand movements. She then leapt forward and hit the Arcanine, once, twice, on each side of its muzzle. It lunged forward, taking her down and knicking her out.

"Ok," I hissed to Kameron, "one's out, the others injured, let's do this thing before they heal them!"

Kameron nodded.

"Dragosi, crack open the glass."

"Dra dra," the dragonfly Pokemon's antennae glowed and a ball of energy sent the glass spiralling inwards with an awesome "crack". We all ducked involuntarily.

"Quickly, Dragosi, support us whilst we drop down!"

"Si."

I jumped first, feeling the almost weightlessness as Dragosi controlled my freefall. Kameron landed beside me. We felt some sort of introduction was necessary.

"Prepare for trouble," I said, with a wry grin.

"And make it double," Kameron picked up.

"To protect the world from infestation."

"To unite our people against humiliation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To kick your butts, you Rocket scum!"

"Kataryna!"

"Kameron!"

"Team Rocket shall blast off at the speed of light."

"You better watch out, cos we'll win the fight."

"Dragosi!"

"_Shaaaa!"_

Kameron and I grinned at each other. That was pretty good for an improvisation.

"Oh very nice, very nice indeed," Loki was clapping sarcastically, "I have a feeling we're going to have to see out lawyers though, about your use of our motto. But, that's for later. You see, we have an extra special treat for you today!"

Freyja grinned. "Yeah, we do, tell them Loki."

Loki brought out the stone, it looked for all the world like nothing more than a shadow, but seemed solid. "This," he said, "is the Shadow Stone, the most powerful and dangerous Evolution stone in existence. Any Pokemon can be evolved with it – or killed. But the most powerful of these Evolutions happens when you cross this," Freyja pulled out another black stone, this one seemed to glow black, and did not resemble shadow in the slightest.

"The darkness stone," she said, "one of but a few in existence."

"With this," Loki smiled slyly once more, "and use it to evolve one of these!" He pulled an Eevee out of a Pokeball.

"Eeveee," it sounded scared.

"No, I will not let you!" I shouted. "Go get him Shadeon!"

Shadeon leapt forward with a hiss. The eevee squealed and ran away.

"Oh, you kids are too late, as always." Loki drew another ball from his belt. This one seemed somewhat more ominous then the others. "Here's one I prepared earlier!"

"_Diaaabooooleeeeoooonnn_." The thing hissed. It appeared to be nought but shadow, a great black beast composed of rolling shadows but for its glowing red eyes and white symbols upon its incorporal body. Black tentacles rippled around its throat.

"What the Hades!" Kameron reached for the Pokedex.

"Pokemon unknown," the tinny voice intoned. He slammed it away.

"Come on Shadeon, you can beat this thing!" I coaxed. Shadeon looked at the black creature. She was twice the size of a normal Eeveelution and this thing was half again her size.

"Diaboleon, shadow whip!" Loki yelled.

The Shadow Pokemon sprang forward, seeming to hang in the air. Its tentacles rippled out from its body, stretching an amazing length and entangling themselves around Shadeon.

"Shaaaaa!" Shadeon screamed, trying to diffuse, but you could not diffuse if you were held by something with no physical body. She fell to the ground, a twisted, shape.

"Shadeon!" I yelled. The Diaboleon was coming for me now. It lowered its head, its red eyes filling with a fiery light.

"Makiki!" Maki and Kiki both leapt from my shoulders. Their forehead stars glowed in unison and the creature fell back.

"Fire and light!" I yelled, "its weak against fire and light!"

Suddenly the shadow spread out, emcompassing us. It felt like the weight of centuries was resting on out shoulders.

"Go, all of you!" I shrieked.

"All you lot too!" Kameron added.

"Draaaa!" Dragosi sent a beam of psychic energy straight at the Shadow Eeveelution. The force sent it bowling backwards. It clambered to its feet and seemed to grow. Now it was four times bigger than an Eevee, standing about five feet tall at the shoulder. 

"_Diaaaaboooo_," a blast of dark shadow energy struck Dragosi, sending the dragon head over tail into a pile. He didn't get up.

"Makiki!" The Makimurs circled it, trying to force it back, but it was so powerful now that the lights had little effect. Its tentacles rippled out, grabbing them.

"Kimur!" Maki shrieked, it was truly terrible to hear.

I leapt forward, trying to leap at the Shadow Beast and make it release my Pokemon, but I fell through it. I had forgotten it had no substance.

One of the tentacles grabbed me. The cold tendrils wrapped around me, feeling insubstantial but still impossible to break free of, impossibly cold.

Suddenly, one Pokemon jumped out before it. His golden mane flaming and his dark eyes blazing, Flareon stared at the Diaboleon.

"Flarrrreee!"

Darkness was beginning to claim me now, my head was filling with smoke and I was starting to feel weak. The Shadow Beast was draining my life. 

Suddenly we were flung aside. I hit the wall with a crunch that made Kameron, who was still standing, wince. Through my blurred vision I could see that he was trying to get closer to Loki and Freyja, both of whom had wisely taken cover at the farthest end of the gymnasium.

"You can't bet the Diaboleon," Loki said with a grin. "Noone can, its going to make us the head of Team Rocket."

The huge Shadow Barakki (Dark Eeveelution form silver and gold, ok?) suddenly reared on its hindlegs and the shadow whips reached out for the Flareon.

Flareon spat fire in its face, causing it to draw back a little, although the tentacles still advanced. It seized the Fire Eeveelution, its eyes glowing as it attempted to drain the fire Pokemon's energy.

The rest is somewhat as a blur, but Kameron updated me later.

Flareon suddenly began to glow with the silver light from the star he had bitten. The tentacles whipped away and Diaboleon stepped back, forced away by the sheer brightness of light.

"Solllaaaarrrr!" The once-Flareon snarled. He had grown to over twice his initial size, although he was still smaller that the Diaboleon. His mane had grown and now sparkled silver and white, looking not unlike a mohawk. Silver fur adorned his legs and his tail was brushier. His eyes began to glow yellow. Diaboleon's eyes glowed red, like rubies.

The two lowered their heads and lunged at the same moment, meeting in mid-air. And this was when the strangest thing happened, for suddenly the two merged, into a white and black mixture, a mixture of light and dark. The merged light shot out through the skylight, blowing the roof of the gymnasium apart and split back into two once outside. Not that we were watching at that point, we were too busy protecting ourselves from falling debris.

When the dust finally cleared, we were lying in the wreckage of the gymnasium. Loki and Freyja were standing upon the fallen slabs of rock and grinning at us. Freyja was holding on to a struggling Florion and Loki was holding the Shadow Stone.

"We're not beat yet!" He said with a sly smile. "When we evolve this green Eevee-thing, you'll be sorry!"

"No!" I tried to shout, but my throat was filled with dust and my back throbbed with pain. It may have even been broken, I didn't want to think about it.

"Oh, she's telling us not too!" Loki said with a sly smile, "perhaps we should stop doing it then? Or perhaps, we should?"

"Oh we should," Freyja grinned. "We definitely should." She brought the struggling Grass Eeveelution towards the Shadow Stone.

I struggled to stand up and stop them, but I could not, I could not even feel my legs.

Kameron suddenly sprang out from behind the fallen debris, sending Loki forward and into the dust with a choking scream. He then shoved Freyja so that she fell backwards, releasing Florion in the process.

"FloriON!" Florion seemed really annoyed (wouldn't you be?). He sneezed suddenly, showering out a cloud of white pollen that drifted down onto the faces of Freyja and Loki.

"I feel, suddenly *****yawn*," Loki said.

"Me too!" Freyja collapsed to her knees and started to snore in a most ladylike fashion.

"Sleeping powder?" I asked him, "that's a new one!"

"Flori!" He stood on his hindlegs. "Flori flori florion!"

Out of the rubble crawled some of the Pokemon, Ozmos, Marrill, Shrubslash. I began to get worried. Kameron had rushed to my side. "Kat, are you okay?" 

"I don't know," I replied, "find a phone and call for help. You guys, try and find my Pokemon and bring them here!"

Kameron kissed me on the forehead. "I won't be long," he said, sounding almost sad. He ran off.

"Go si!" Something large and purple crawled out from beneath the rubble and dragged himself towards me. "Dragosi."

"I'm so glad you're ok!" I told him, and drew out his Pokeball, "return!" He returned happily.

The Pokemon that were still physically able scrabbled about in the rubble, bringing my Pokemon to me. Maki and Kiki were alive, but battered and bruised, Razor was fine, just trapped, and Dancer seemed fine, although her wings had been mildly damaged. A moment later I heard sirens and Kameron came running back in.

"You've found them?" He asked, recalling his Pokemon.

"All but one," I replied, before the waves of black pain overwhelmed me and I faded into delirium.

The ambulance officers came running in shortly after and I was put on a stretcher and taken into the ambulance. On his way out after them, Kameron found a smallish, dark shape lying on the floor. It was Shadeon. He drew out her Pokeball and recalled her. It was the first time she had been shut up in it since we left the house and he was not even sure if she were still alive.

I, on the other hand, awoke in hospital a few hours later to find Kameron sitting beside my bed, holding my hand. 

"Is my back broken?" I asked, that being my first concern.

He shook his head. "No, but you slipped a disc, it's going to take a while before you will walk comfortably again."

"We have to get to the Lapras!" I said somewhat urgently.

"Calm down," Kameron explained, "I've booked us tickets to the town, we're nearly there already."

"How are my Pokemon?"

"They're fine, I dropped them by a Pokemon Centre as soon as they said you were going to be alright. There's just one I'm worried about." He drew out the odd Pokeball and summoned Shadeon onto the bed.

She lay curled up, looking so tiny now she had been drained of most of her shadow energy. I touched her and she felt almost insubstantial.

"I was hoping you might be able to do something," Kameron said sadly. "If it doesn't strain you too much."

I nodded. I would damn well give it a go! I placed one hand on Shadeon, and Kameron grasped my other. I closed my eyes, remembering Shadeon as I knew her in the short time since we had met. She must be still alive, or she would have dispersed entirely as shadow, so I would most likely have more success with her than I had with Cubone. I felt the familiar electricity crackling down my arm.

The strain was too much, I passed back into blackness.

When realisation dawned again, it was of someone licking my face, and no, it wasn't Kameron. It was Shadeon.

I hugged her, she felt corporal again, almost, but not quite, warm.

"Look what else I picked up!" Kameron exclaimed, he brought out a Pokeball. "You're not supposed to have Pokemon in a hospital, but I snuck it in," he whispered conspiratively. He opened the ball and out popped at Eevee. "It's the one they were going to evolve. I thought I might use the darkness stone and shadow stone to evolve one of those Diaboleon things myself.

We narrowed our eyes at him and Shadeon spat.

"Relax, I'm kidding! Nah, I think I'll leave this wee fellow an Eevee for a while, I'm getting a little sick of Eeveelutions."

"Shaaa!"

"Oh, not you of course," Kameron stroked the Shadeon. 

"I have a couple of questions. What happened to the Shadow Stone?"

Kameron drew out an item ball, Shadeon and Eevee reflexively drew back from it. "In here," he said, "I thought this was the safest place to keep it."

"What are we going to do with it?"

"Shaaa!"

"Destroy it," Kameron said, not quite translating for the Shadeon but probably close. "Something like this is way too dangerous."

"And the Dark Stone?"

"I thought Doctor Warwick might like that for his studies," Kameron replied, "unless you want to try and evolve Eevee with it."

"Eeeee!"

"Shaaa?"

Kameron reassured his new Eevee. "Don't worry, I won't evolve you unless you want to be evolved."

"The other thing I want to know is, what happened to Flareon?"

Kameron smiled. "The oddest thing – he grew much bigger and his flaming mane became a mane of light. Then he leapt at the Diaboleon and they merged, turning into a ball of light and dark, and disappeared through the roof. Then everything kind of fell apart."

"What?!!" Ok, I was confused.

"Shaaaa shaa shadeonn!" The black shadow settled around us and we once again were transported to a new place. Kameron and I stood on a grassy meadow, which looked almost like it was new and fresh. Eevee was curled up in his arms. Suddenly we saw two Eevees, one black, the other white. They were playing together. The two were happy in each other's company, the first two Eevees ever created. But the Elemental Powers became jealous of their love for one another, and banished them – sending the pale Eevee into the stars, becoming light, whilst the black Eevee was banished forever into the night.

For many centuries, the two were apart, able to see each other only at the junction between night and day. During their long separation, the black Eevee became cold, vicious, angry at the world, and the white Eevee became lonely, and arrogant.

Time passed, and suddenly a man discovered the Shadow Stone, the essence of the Black Eevee. But he misused it, and instead of bringing the black Eevee back from its isolation, he created a new Shadow Eevee. And then the Stone was stolen and used for its correct purpose, restoring the black Eevee to life once more. But she was alone and she was angry, for she sought revenge.

And once the Dark Eevee was restored to earth, so could be the Light Eevee. The star that held the Eevee's essence tumbled to the earth and was found by a Flareon, the epitome of fire and arrogance (sorry to all you Flareon fanatics!). Where there was one, there must be the other.

When the two had seen each other, they had at first been enraged, for they felt the other had abandoned them. But when the dark eyes of the Solareon had met the red eyes of the Diaboleon, they had realised.

And now they were together once more.

The shadow cleared and we all shook our heads as we came back to reality. Two Eevees, banished for an eternity because of love. It was a solemn, heart-rending story. For whilst you could not have shadow without light, nor could you have day without night. We had both learnt something today.


	3. Ship Wrecked!

# Ship Wrecked

When we finally reached the tiny seaside village of Coralville, it was late afternoon. My back still ached, but luckily the ride here had not been too bumpy and painful. The Makimurs were, as always on long car trips, bored and had filled in their time by playing checkers. Kameron had finally convinced Shadeon to get in her Pokeball and his new Eevee lay in his lap, playing with the collar of his jacket. 

"Ouch!" He muttered, as the little Eevee played a bit too hard and managed to claw him. The little chihuahua like Pokemon looked up, its mouth filled with Kameron's collar. 

"Eee pree?" It asked, its voice muffled.

"You little minx," Kameron muttered goodnaturedly. "Let go of that!" He pulled it off him, wiping the spittle off his coat. He stared at me. "This fellow's a little rabscallion in the making.

I smiled. "Perhaps you should give it a name?"

"It's not an it," he replied, "it's a he, can't you tell?"

"I haven't inspected it thoroughly," I replied, "but I'll take your word for it."

"Eee preee!" The little rabscallion launched another attack on Kameron, this time eating his hair.

"Makiki," Maki sighed.

The shuttle drew to a halt.

"Okay, everyone off," the bus driver bellowed. "You've reached the end of the line, welcome to Coralville."

We grabbed out luggage and piled out, the Eevee leaping into Kameron's pocket.

"Well, here we are, in sunny Coralville," Kameron said with a wry smile. The wind was blown a fierce gale and it was spitting with rain. Eevee decided to hide nice and low in Kameron's pocket. Maki and Kiki also jumped into my backpack. They had no great love of the rain. 

We stood on the Esplanade, looking out over the seas which were a churning mass of waves. The roar of the water was so loud it was almost daunting. I was not, as you may remember, a big fan of water and the thought of crossing that was frightening, to say the least.

"Let's stay here the night," I ventured, "we can catch a boat out tomorrow if the weather's cleared up."

Kameron sighed. "It's going to be an eternity before we get to see these Lapras, isn't it?"

"Eeee preee!" Eevee agreed.

"We better find shelter." I stated, matter-of-factly. The decision was unanimous. We found a Pokemon hostel/centre without much difficulty, it seemed this was the starting place for a lot of people who set out on the Orange League. Not that I had any intent to get a badge at all. There was so much more to being a Pokemon Trainer.

By the next morning the weather had still not cleared and we were unsure as if it ever would. I called Doctor Warwick that morning.

"What do you mean, you're still not there?" He asked, sounding almost angry.

I sighed. "We had a couple of little misadventures and missed our bus." I replied. Not that I would count the orphanage as a misadventure, but my back still hurt from the other episode.

"Well, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you regarding the Lapras." He sounded miserable.

"They've gone, haven't they?" I sighed. Just my luck…

"Not quite, but, well, it seems a bunch of pirate hunters have come into the Orange Islands. They are believed to be capturing the Lapras by some rather unfortunate methods. A dead one was found washed up on Mandarin Island an hour ago and another one was found in the Pinkun Island reserve, so badly injured it had to be euthanised."

"That's terrible!" The poor things, just trying to do their migration and here they were being slaughtered. "What can I do to help?"

"I knew you were going to get involved," Doctor Frances muttered, "I just knew it. Well, I don't want you kids to get hurt."

"Too late for that!" Kameron shouted over my shoulder.

"Yeah," I replied, "we've already had a run in with shadow Pokemon."

"What?"

"Shadeon, get over here."

"_Shaaa_," Shadeon loped over and stared into the phone screen. Doctor Warwick took a step back.

"What in Hades is that?" He asked.

"Shadeon," I replied, "the Shadow Eevee. Made by a most unpleasant method. But don't worry about that, I'll update you on it later."

"You better!"

"We've already sent you a postcard!" Kameron shouted again.

"Anyway," I shot him an evil look, "in regards to the Lapras, what do you advise that I do?"

"I would advise that you stay well out of it. But I know you're not going to." He sighed. "Nobody knows yet how the pirates operate, or where they moor their ship. There are many, many islands out there, in the Orange Islands and since aerial transport around here is limited, due to the winds, nobody has been able to find them yet."

"This isn't very helpful," I muttered.

"Be patient girl! Anyway, the best island to start on would be Mandarin Island, cos it's the nearest one to where you are and because that was where the dead Lapras was found. Catch a ship over there as soon as is convenient and talk to me again once you're there."

"Okay, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

The screen went dead as I hung up the 'phone.

Kameron was pale. "That's just terrible," he said.

"I know, so what do we do about it?"

"We catch a ship over there today."

It was a task easier said than done. Eventually we managed to track down one ship that was still sailing across to the isles today, an older vessel named "The Sea Swallow" with a picture of a white bird with forked tail painted on the side. We paid our fares to the bearded captain and clambered in.

"So, what is it that makes you brave the waves on this horrific day?" He asks us, after introducing himself as Captain Robynson.

"We have urgent business to attend to over on Mandarin Island." I explained. The Eevee was stalking Kiki's tail. Kiki herself was investigating the rather small cabin of the sailing vessel. Suddenly he pounced and Kiki turned on him almost instantly and the two wrestled with each other playfully.

The Captain laughed. "Funny wee fellow," he said with a smile. "Reminds me of the Eevee I had when I was a kid. It died though, as is prone to happening when one gets old. Now there's just me, sailing the seas all alone."

"Oh that's sad," I replied. "I think everyone needs a friend. I've got Maki." Maki had fallen asleep in my backpack. He stirred and stared up at the old man.

"Maki-murrr!" He said, by way of greetings.

"So why are you sailing on a day like this?" Kameron asked the Captain.

"Well, I have to transport goods across to the island and if I don't do it, then I won't get paid and the fruit'll spoil. So I've got to go."

The Eevee had beaten Kiki and was now ambushing Kameron's shoe. Maki, never one to want to miss out on the excitement, jumped down and promptly untied it.

"Hey," Kameron exclaimed as Maki set about pulling the shoelace out. "Leave me alone you guys!"

Both the Captain and I could not stop laughing.

"He really does remind me of the Eevee I had when I was young," the Captain continued. "A little fellow I called Azriel, here, I have a photo somewhere." He fossicked around in a cupboard and drew out a photograph. It showed an Eevee sitting inside a gumboot.

I chuckled. "Hey, Kameron!" I called (Kameron was trying to forcibly remove one shoelace from one lemur Pokemon), "why don't you call your Eevee Azriel?"

"Yeah, why not," he replied. "Would you like that little guy?"

"Eee veee!" Azriel agreed, tugging on one end of the shoelace that Maki was holding onto. Maki waited until he had pulled it tight, then let it go so the little Eevee tumbled paws over tail.

"That was unnecessarily mean!" I scolded Maki.

"Makiki!" He didn't seem concerned.

The Captain looked pleased. He dragged out a bag from the cupboard. "This is some Pokemon biscuits, I carry them for visitors who have Pokemon, perhaps you would like some?"

"Eeveee!" Azriel darted over and begged comically.

"Here you go little fellow," the Captain handed him a biscuit, and then tossed one to each of Maki and Kiki. Maki caught his and Kiki crouched over hers, growling like a Persian. "Anyway, let's get this show on the road!" The Captain left us alone in the cabin.

The ocean was rough and within the first ten minutes both Kameron and I were standing on deck, leaning over the side. Maki had retreated into his Pokeball in defence, as had Kiki (and she didn't even really have a Pokeball, she just jumped into one of Kameron's empty ones. As for Azriel… He sat on the Captain's shoulder whilst the ship plowed through the waves. The rough seas did not seem to effect him.

"I don't think this is going to work!" Captain Robynson yelled, "I'm turning back!" The wind stole the worlds from his mouth. The boat lurched through the high seas and rain poured down around us. 

Suddenly something flashed through the water. It was large and blue, with a horn on its almost fish-like head. It flicked its tail and sprang into the air. 

"What is that?" I asked.

Kameron looked at me, his face ashen. "You want me to get out my Pokedex?" He asked, sounding positively ill. 

"I'll get it," I had no love of water, but was not quite as ill as he. I removed it from his pocket and pointed it at the creature covorting in the waters below.

"ORKA: the dolphin Pokemon. Evolves from Dolfin. This Pokemon is well-known for its dark sense of humour and habit of capsizing boats."

"Oh dear…"

The Orka arched out of the water, just as the Captain was turning the boat about. A beam of white light, glittering with tiny stars shot from the horn on its head and hit the boat. There was a cracking noise as the frozen wood splintered under the impact of the ocean.

"We're hit!" Captain Robynson shouted. "Quick kids, get in the lifeboat." The boat lurched as we tried to make our way along the railing. My foot slipped and suddenly I was plunging into the freezing, turbulant waters. Kameron shouted out for me, but I was being swallowed up by the waters.

I could not swim.

The water was freezing, so cold that immediately my fingers and toes went numb, despite the fact that I was still wearing shoes. In my last memories of thought, I drew out Razor's Pokeball. It took a lot of effort and concentration to fight back the esculating panic and push the button to release him.

Immediately the Sea horse Pokemon swam under me, catching me before I had sunk. He pushed me to the surface and suddenly I saw it, it had come back. Plowing through the waters like an avenging angel, the Orka descended on us. I detected no malice from it, more a sort of strange humour that radiated from it. It thought it was funny to try and drown people. I had enough state of mind now to release Ozmos. She paddled in the water and stared at the Orka. Its eyes were huge, as large as the vaporeon's head and glinted. It lowered its horn. Ozmos sent a spray of water at it, but it barely noticed, it was hard to fight water/ice Pokemon with other water/ice Pokemon. Besides, it was hard to funnel water through water.

The Orka began to swim around us in circles. Getting swifter and swifter. Suddenly I felt myself being picked up in a tubulant whirlpool and was flung into the air. Involuntarily, I released Razor and as suddenly as it had come, the water funnel disappeared and I was flung back into the sea. The dark green waters closed over my head as I flapped and kicked desperately and ineffectually. Suddenly I felt Ozmos's head beneath my hand. She pushed me to the surface. I clung to her back desperately as she swam swiftly through the wild waters. The boat had entirely disappeared from sight, in fact, everything within a few feet was obliterated by huge waves and mist. A wave broke over us, pushing me under again, but once more, my bold little Vaporeon pushed us to the top. But we knew not where we were going and Ozmos was not large, not particularly fit. After about twenty minutes, the cold was starting to seep into my veins and everything seemed hazy, like a dream.

Things seemed to flicker at me through the mists, a small pink Pokemon that resembled a cat, bouncing from bubble to bubble. A bird, its wings white and pure, stroking across the waters, its dark eyes scanning the surface for prey. A dog, standing on the waters, with blue fur and long, almost rabbit-like ears, watching me carefully. My thoughts swept back to when I was younger, before I left home to become a Pokemon Trainer or whatever I was today. My parents, making me clean the house with a toothbrush because I hadn't turned off my light at midnight. One of my schoolmates teasing me because I was unable to swim and scared of the water.

My first swimming experience when I was four and my father decided that throwing me into the ocean was an appropriate way for me to learn.

The chill of the waters encasing me, the shock of being unable to breath… I had gasped and filled my lungs with water, coughing and spluttering. I had sworn never to swim again.

I wished I had learnt now…

Everything was turning dark and misty, thick, like the mist was reaching for me, trying to drag me under. The waters closed over my head. Ozmos was slowing, becoming as worn out as I was myself.

I could no longer fight for consciousness. 

Day became darkness.

An unmeasured amount of time later, I became aware that suddenly I was dry, or, if not so much dry, less wet. Something very large and fairly blue was beneath me.

Darkness consumed my senses once more.

And then I awoke, on a beach. Sand was clogged in my hair and clothing (or what remained of it). I dragged myself onto my elbows and Ozmos nudged me.

"Vap vaporeon?" She asked concernedly.

"I'm okay," I muttered, rolling over and coughing out what felt like half the ocean. My throat felt like a rattata had crawled in it and died. Ozmos nuzzled me.

I crawled to hands and knees and stared at my surroundings. I was on a beach, it was grey and dismal and something very large loomed over me. I startled, trying to back away on hands and knees, then I realised what it was.

A lapras.

I stared up into its huge blue eyes. "Preaaa?" It asked me.

"You saved me," I stammered, "Didn't you"

The Lapras nodded. "Preeaaa!" It warbled.

"And you're hurt…" Blood was pouring from a wound in its breast. "Let me help you." I stepped forward clumsily and placed my hands over the wound, willing that familiar electric sensation. I'd healed Shadeon, perhaps I could also heal Lapras. 

The bleeding stopped, but the wound did not heal. My head swirled and I fell forward, catching myself against the legendary water Pokemon.

"It was the poachers, wasn't it?" I asked.

"La preeee!"

"Don't worry, girl, we're going to stop them." But I wondered how.

I also wondered where I was.


	4. Village of the Free

# Village of the Free

*Part 1*

The rain screed down as I wandered along the beach, desperately seeking shelter. Ozmos bounced along beside me, sticking her nose under logs and sneezing sand. Suddenly she whimpered;

"Eon-on." She was nudging something forlorn and bedraggled looking in the sand.

I walked morosely over to investigate. I was so wet and cold that I barely noticed the rain. I could not feel my toes and my fingers were not much better, either. My back was throbbing from the exertion and the cold. It was something the tide had washed in, a small, bedraggled brown shape.

Azriel.

Feeling sick to the stomach, I rushed over and picked up the pathetic bundle. He was still alive, but almost beyond shivering from the cold. I cradled him to my chest and he stirred slightly and whimpered.

"Dragosi!" I called forth my Dragonfly Pokemon. "Please, we need your help, find us shelter."

"Draaa draagosii si." ("It is too wet to fly, but I try, for you.")

I clambered onto his back and Ozmos leapt into my lap. With one hand I clung to the spikes on his head, with the other I held desperately to Azriel. The Dragonfly Pokemon leapt into the air, his wings a blur. The rain doused us both and stuck to his wings, making his flapping decrease. Azriel stirred and whimpered once more. The rain rendered us almost blind and also made it difficult for Dragosi to fly, but he made it some distance before being forced to land in the woodlands.

It was a terrible flight, with the rain pounding down on us and the purple dragon lurched through the vertical river in erratic bursts. Many times I almost fell from his broad back and my own back was left throbbing madly and painfully. I had to close my eyes against the pain, it was that bad.

Dragosi burst through the foliage and crashed onto the forest floor. "Si?" He said tiredly.

"You did well Dragosi," I replied, "take a rest." We appeared to be in the forest. There was no visible shelter, but at least the tree branches protected us from the worst of the downpour. I was shivering by now and desperately wishing I had a fire Pokemon of some description. Ozmos drew herself under my chin. She was soaked as much as I, but still warm. Contrary to some people's belief, Vaporeon are neither cold not slimy. They have teal fur as thick and as warm as an otters, and used for much the same purpose. I dragged myself under the bushed and sat there, huddled up with my hair hanging limply in my face and the Eevee and Vaporeon in my lap. And I thought.

If Azriel had washed ashore, that meant the ship must have tipped or gone down. Which meant Kameron and Captain Robynson must have tried to bail out in the lifeboat, possibly searching for me. Which probably meant they were dead. I felt a lump rising in my throat at that thought, at the thought of finding them lying on the beach as I'd found Azriel. Tears coursed down my cheeks, almost unnoticed for I was so damp already. The little Eevee whimpered, feeling my pain and Ozmos licked my cheek.

"Va por reon," she said, to reassure me.

"Okay, come out all of you that can stand the rain," I called. Florion leapt out enthusiastically. He was a grass Pokemon, therefore, water made him stronger. He nuzzled up to Ozmos and groomed her fur. I hugged them both. "We need to find better shelter," I said. "Are you willing to help me?"

"Va por, vapor reon?" ("What's wrong with here?")

"I don't like the rain," I informed her. "It will make me ill."

"Flori-florion!" Florion had smelt something. He had moved to the side if the area. I squelched over and had an investigate. It was a piece of red ribbon, snagged on a bush. I removed it and studied it. It looked like the sort of thing that might be found about a Pokemon's neck, provided that Pokemon was a treasured pet.

"Flor-flor!" Florion yelped. 

I looked up and saw something that whole-heartedly disturbed me.

The trees were covered in ribbons, collars and bandannas, several shattered Pokeballs covered the ground. Florion nuzzled a little collar with a bell on it. The most disturbing thing, was that these did not appear to be randomly placed, but that they had been arranged in the trees. It was almost like an obscure religious shrine.

"Where are we?" I asked.

Florion looked at me and pointed his nose at a trail. "Flori-flori!" He said. And then he darted down the trail. Holding Azriel close, I ran after him. The ground was slippery beneath my feet and they slid from under me, sending me caterpaulting face first into the mud.

"Eevee!" Azriel squealed, as I stood up again, making sure I had not crushed him. He was no worse off then he had been previously. The pain in my back was starting to reach a peek. Waves of agony swept up and down my spine as I walked. Ozmos worried nudged my ankle and whimpered. My pokemon could feel my pain.

After what felt like an eternity, but was in fact probably less than ten minutes, the trail lead me towards what looked like a wall.

A wall! That meant a house or some such place. Which meant, help!

I leaned heavily against the wall, the pain spasming down my back.

"Pidgeeeeooo!" Something squawked from the top of the wall.

I started, and looking upwards, saw a rather large and unfriendly looking pidgeotto staring at me. Its crest was flattened to its head by the rain and it looked thoroughly miserable.

"Please," I begged, "I am hurt and cold and require assistance."

"Pidgeee?" The bird quirked its head at me. "Geooooo!"

I stared at it and it stared back at me. I could not understand it, for it was not one of my Pokemon.

Florion stood up, placing his forelegs against the fence. "Flori-florion flori flori!" He insisted. I think he was trying to convince the bird to let us in.

"Geoooo?" It seemed doubtful.

Azriel stirred in my arms. "Eee veeee, eee preee?" He whimpered.

The pigeon Pokemon looked at him, looked at the forlorn, bedraggled bundle. "Pidgeeeoo," it finally agreed and swooped down before us. I clambered onto its back with Ozmos and Florion, and it flapped back over the wall. On the other side was what appeared to be a village. An old, abandoned village. Some of the buildings were lacking in the roof department, others were little more than rubble. Outside in the puddles, a Marrill and some type of crocodile Pokemon were playing, leaping in the puddles and spraying water every which way. They looked at us new arrivals in puzzlement.

"Marrill, marrill?" (Everything a marril says sounds like a question, ok?).

"Wainoko, wai wai." The crocodilian Pokemon agreed.

"Vapor, vaporeon por por?" ("I'm famished, can we eat yet?" – trust Ozmos…)

"Pidgeeeoooo!" That was very clearly, "stay here."

The Pidgeotto flapped off, somewhat heavily because of the rain. I stood there and shivered.

A moment later a large pink Pokemon came running out. "Chansey, chansey," it sang as it approached me. I was starting to be puzzled by all the Pokemon and lack of people. An idea was beginning to form…

The Chansey put out its arms to me and I handed it Azriel. With the utmost of care, the Chansey placed the Eevee in its pouch (which was oddly empty) and ran off. Once more, I was left standing and shivering in the rain. The Marril and the crocodile (Wainoko?) were watching me with mild interest and Ozmos and Florion were staring at them and saying things like: "Flori-flori," "vapor por." They knew I was hurt and going to become ill if not tended to soon and they were trying to get some attention to me. Unfortunately, the Pokemon seemed in no hurry to do anything.

After an eternity (and by now I was sitting against the wall, for the pain was sending bright flashed behind my eyes), with Florion and Ozmos practically screaming at the two water Pokemon, a Clefable wandered over.

"Yoou en-ter ooour ci-ty hurrrt," it said in a singsong voice.

I gaped in amazement. "You can talk?"

"Ittt noo haaard, wheeen yo-ouu wa-ant too," it answered. "Huu-man no allow-eed heereee!"

"Why not?"

"Thiss vill-age of thee f-reee, no tur-ainer for usss!"

"I am desperately in need of help," I whispered, starting to feel despondent. More despondent. Kameron might be dead and now I was surely going to follow in his footsteps.

"Weee knooow. And youuur Po-ke-monnn care much indeed too youuu. Weee will helpp, but aaat cost!"

"What cost?" I almost pleaded. "I'll do almost anything to be dry again. My friend, my friend is lost at sea and I have to find him. If he lives, I must be with him and if he dies," I paused, wondering. "Then perhaps I want to join him."

The Clefable stared at me. "Spooo-ken like all huu-man. You saaay what you wa-ant not what you dooo. We he-elp you, you he-elp us. Yes?"

I nodded. "But I must receive warmth and dry clothing first. I cannot help you until I have helped myself."

"Tu-rue, weee he-elp youu, youu fi-ind us tu-reatment for Elder? Yes?"

So someone was ill. I could certainly help there. "I shall."

The Clefable stepped forward. "Leaaan me," it said. I braced myself against it and it helped me walk into a building that seemed more-or-less intact.

There were four other inhabitants in the room, Chansey, Azriel (laid gently on a pile of leaves) and another Pokemon, a very strange creature, the likes of which I had only seen once before, in a movie…

"That's Mewtwo," I whispered.

Yes, it is, came the voice in my head (that oh too familiar psychic voice…)

"What are you doing here?" I asked, feeling both in awe and terrified. 

This is my home now, the Village of the Free. But alas, I am ill. I fear I shall no longer be of this earth soon.

"That's not good," I said, trying to decide if it was or wasn't. As far as I knew, Mewtwo was evil.

He shrugged and I saw how thin he had got, how his ribs protuded through his short fur and how his skull showed beneath his skin. He was dying.

"Um, didn't you have a Mew with you, when you left? And lots of other Pokemon?"

Yes, he sounded weak, but some of them left me, and others rebelled. I fear I was not too strong a leader, really, once my hatred was quenched. But you are a Trainer young woman, and thus not welcome here. If only I were strong enough to expel you.

"Flori, florion!"

Yes, little one, I know you believe she is worthy. And perhaps you are right. I have learnt that sometimes Trainers are not all they seem. Other times they are worse. How many badges have you won, girl?

That was a faintly embarrasing question. The Chansey had removed all my clothes and wrapped me in some sort of blanket. The other Pokemon here, a Vulpix, had set a fire in the corner of the room and gradually I was beginning to feel warmer and less wretched. My back still ached though.

"I have no badges. I rarely fight."

That is good, Mewtwo sent. You are not a typical Trainer, prepared to make your captives battle to the death for you. My captives were, so I left.

"Giovanni is dead," I informed him, "or as good as, and Team Rocket has disintegrated into a mass of people with no direction." I paused. "An Alakazam sought ruling of Team Rocket and the world and my friends and I destroyed him."

I saw the faintest hint of a smile on the genetically-engineered cat Pokemon's face. Oh, you boast so much, why should I believe you?

"Maki makikiki murr!" Maki sprang from his Pokeball, accusing me of not letting him out now we were dry. He took one look at Mewtwo and cowered back, then did a double take. "Maki kiki?"

Oh, so you have a Makimur, it has been many years since I have seen such a creature. Perhaps you would like to release all your Pokemon. We do not like Pokeballs here.

"Oh, yeah, sorry." I drew out my final two Pokeballs, "Kiki, Dragosi, come on out and meet the others."

"Sii."

Kiki came up curled up and asleep. After a moment she woke up and jumped onto the bed that Mewtwo was lying in. "Makiki," she said, nervously, drawing back somewhat.

Don't be afraid little one, I will not hurt you.

"The Clefable told me you would help me if I helped you. I would be guessing that you wish me to find the cure for your ailment?" I was being bold I knew, but I needed to know.

Yes, the only cure for me is the fruit of a special tree that grows at the top of that mountain. Unfortunately, myself and my companions are unable to journey there for the way is guarded.

"Guarded?"

Once, I had many Pokemon, powerful creatures, with me, but alas, when we settled here, they rebelled and abandoned me for the mountain. They hate me for making them the way they are, despise me. I stay here and rule over these Pokemon, the less powerful who have abandoned their Trainers or been abandoned by their Trainers. They do not know how to live as wild Pokemon, only as people, humans would. It truly is a saddening thing. So I help them.

But unfortunately, some months ago, terror came to our island, which is hidden by mists to humankind, although Pokemon can find it with ease. It came in the form of humans, who had somehow fought their way through the mist with the help of a Halcyon, a legendary bird Pokemon of the sea. Not one of the legendary birds, might I note, but a legend in its own right. 

They found their way here and attacked us, using weapons the likes of which I had never seen. Guns that shot a gunky substance… I was hit by one such gun and it did something to my psychic powers.

And because I am a psychic creature, it made me very ill. Like a disease.

Unless I get the fruit of this magical tree, which was planted by Mew and I five years ago, when we first founded this island, I will die.

It will not be a bad thing, not for me.

But I fear for my friends who will be leaderless without me, and weak and at mercy to the claws of the evil Pokemon on the mountain.

Do you see why I need help?

I nodded. I was feeling much warmer now. This was clearly a haven for abandoned Pokemon, the mistreated, the misunderstood. So that was why the shrine in the woods, they had cast off the shackles of humanity and built a miniature temple. And yet they lived in a village, because they were unable to survive in the wild. And they needed Mewtwo.

"And what became of Mew?" I asked. Curiousity, as they say, killed the cat and I seemed to have that particularly personality trait downpat.

I have not seen Mew for four and a half years, Mewtwo informed me. She disappeared one day in an effort to save her kin. Do you know the story of the Mews?

I shook my head.

Mewtwo groaned. I shall tell you, for you are too wet and miserable to travel just yet and it shall make the time pass faster. I may be weak in powers but my psychic speech remains amazingly unaffected. I shall tell you the tale of the seven Mews; and you shall listen with care, for it is a tale unknown to human kind, for they lack the wit to learn it.

Once, many, many years ago, when the world was but a babe, seven Mews roamed the world. They were the most powerful Pokemon of that time, and indeed the most powerful of any time, aside from, of course, genetic freaks like myself.

Each Mew was in charge of a realm – the ocean, the sky, the mountains, the forest, the desert, the wet areas – swamp, rivers, lakes and ponds, and the underworld, the tunnels and caves that lie beneath the earth. And each of the seven sisters was responsible for that realm and the stronger and more prosperous the land, the stronger and more prosperous the sisters were. Not only did each sister have psychic powers beyond the dreams of any of your Pokemon here, but they also had the powers of the realm they commanded. The sky sister could fly and produce clouds, the sea sister could swim deep into the underwater kingdoms and each could assume the forms of any Pokemon found in their realm.

And then, as always, human kind made their way into things and ruined it all.

The forests were destroyed to make way for villages and towns, leaving the forest sister weak and vulnerable, the skies were filled with noxious fumes, the seas were polluted with strange and mysterious chemicals as were the waterways, those that were not drained for farmland. Eventaully, only three of the sisters retained any power, the other four were so weak that they could no longer protect their realms from mankind. Those four made for themselves protective bubbles and sealed themselves away in their realms, until the time would come when power would be theirs once more.

But that was not the end, for humankind spread even further, and deserts were destroyed and polluted, toxic gases reached even the tops of the tallest mountains and the amount of buried toxic waste affected the underworld. The last three Mews sealed themselves away.

And slept.

Some years ago, some explorers came across the first sleeping Mew, in an underground temple. They took samples from her, fur, blood, skin, all whilst she slept for the bubble no longer protected her. From that they created me, but because of their own arrogance, they made me male.

There has never been a male Mew, the Mews are the sisters, the rulers of the realms and so not only was I different in appearance, I was different in my soul. They named me Mewtwo, for they were unoriginal and lacking in imagination.

Experiments were done on me and Giovanni discovered that my masculinity gave me a power beyond that of the original sisters. Their power was passive, natural, whereas mine was offensive and unnatural.

I was used for Team Rocket's foul purposes, until the day I decided to rebel and escaped. The act of my escaping disturbed the water Mew, who had sunk deep into a swamp, to awaken and she immediately sought me out, following the psychic bond we shared because we were, in a manner of speaking, siblings.

The world alarmed her, she hated to see what Pokemon had become, how they were being used for he pleasures of humans and treated as though they were nothjing more than machines.

She grew even more upset when she realised that I, her brother by blood, was following the same path.

Pokemon should not try and be humans, Mewtwo concluded, for we are something beyond humans, something much more acceptable in this world. We do not destroy it for our own foul purposes, we design our lifestyles around it. This the waterways Mew taught me. And so I have abandoned humankind and Trainers and help those here that need me. But I believe that the rest of the sisters have awoken. And I fear that in their naivete and innocence, they may have allowed themselves to be captured by Trainers and thus be used to destroy their own kin. This my Mew companion, my sister, also believed and she went out to seek the six other sisters, to seek them and bring them here where they could retreat from the world again. I fear the most for my sister that is also, in a way, my mother, the underworld Mew, for she has surely awoken now if she has not been killed.

He lay back and Kiki moved forward to rub her head against him reassuringly.

I sat there, open-mouthed, watching my clothes slowly roast over the Vulpix's fire. I had learnt a lot more about Pokemon that day.

I could not sleep. I lay there, worried beyond measure about Kameron. What if he were dead? What if he were alive but I never saw him again? My tears soaked into the hay pallet and Azriel, fairly active now, crawled up beneath my chin and sobbed with me. Maki and Kiki sat at either side of my head and stroked my hair gently with their small black hands. And eventually, eventually, I fell into an unsettled sleep filled with whirlpools and images of Kameron, being snatched away from me and dragged into the depths.

*Part 2*

By the next morning I felt a lot better and the rain had finally cleared. Mewtwo had given me directions to get to the special fruit tree. Both Mew and Mewtwo had put some of their power into the creation of the tree and it was said to be able to restore any ills. 

Before we departed, I offered to attempt to heal Mewtwo using my abilities, which had been getting stronger and now worked on Pokemon I was not bonded too (albeit not as well as those I was). He refused.

My illness is psychic and anything you do would be more likely to do harm to yourself. The fruit will work it has to. But, as we are a village of free Pokemon and we wish to remain that way, and also to make sure you do not just run from the island, we shall not send you alone. You may only take three of your Pokemon and one of ours. We shall chose that one as a guide.

I looked at my collection of Pokemon. Dragosi looked tired still, having not yet recovered from the flight in the rain, Ozmos and Florion were all excited and keen, Azriel was still not completely well. And Maki and Kiki seemed to be having a lot of fun leaping from rooftop to rooftop and teasing the residents of the village. I could not obviously break up the couples… 

"Is there much purpose in flight?" I asked Mewtwo.

No, there will be no advantage, the Rebels include Charizards and other flying Pokemon. Probably stealth is the best option.

"Ok then, Maki, Kiki, would you two like to come with me?"

"Makimur."

"Makimaki!"

I took that as a yes.

"I don't suppose you'll come with me Florion and leave Ozmos behind?" 

"FLORI!" ("No way!")

"Oh well, I guess its you than Dragosi, as conspicuous as you are."

"Eeee veeee?" Azriel bounced over and nudged me in the leg. "Eevveeee!"

I think you have your answer? Mewtwo replied.

"But Az, you're not well!"

"Eeveeee!" ("I'm as well as you!")

"Ok, fine then…" I picked him up. Maki and Kiki leapt onto their usual perches.

And this is your guide. A disgruntled looking dinosaur Pokemon slouched in. It did not look happy in the slightest to be there.

"Chikoo," it growled. The large leaf on its head bobbed as it moved.

Chikorita, you will lead these people up the mountain to the tree.

"Chiko ko ri TA."

I know you do not like humans and I know you want nothing more to do with them, but you know the way and you have been there before.

"Chiko chikorita."

Fine, you shall walk up the mountain, beware the Charizard, the Blastoise, the Venusaur and all the other really nasty evolved Pokemon. Good luck and I thank you whole-heartedly.

Bidding "farewell" to Florion, Ozmos and Dragosi, I set off along the trail to the mountain. It was obvious even from here, bursting from the centre of the island like a maypole. Chikorita slouched along beside us, looking anything but happy. 

"Chikkooo," it muttered.

"Maki kiki kimur!" Maki scolded it. It had the strength of mind to look shame-faced before Maki star blazed it.

The trail was muddy, and I was still somewhat in pain. Several times I nearly slipped over and once I did fill in the mud. Chikorita found this highly amusing. Once again, Maki scolded him. Kiki, being a Makimur, scampered through the trees and startled wild pidgeys. All I could see of her on occasion was the white and black markings of her impressive tail. It was cold and my back throbbed. The path wended its way steadily upwards, towards the pinnacle of the mountain.

Around us, trees turned to bushes. Kiki returned from her searching and presented with a wild apple, hard and green. I thanked her profusely and pocketted it. I had needless to say, lost all my belongings and my clothing was worst the wear. Above and in front, I could hear sounds.

"Chiko, chik," Chikorita cautioned. I knew we were reaching the dangerous area. Maki and Kiki both returned to my shoulders and Azriel stopped trying to catch my shoelaces (no wonder I had nearly drowned, I was wearing shoes!). The atmosphere itself changed to one of fear. Even the aplumb Chikorita drew closer to me. It moved off the path and brushed aside a bush with its nose. "Chik!"

"You want us to go in there?" I asked.

"Rita!" It replied. I stared into the gloom. The trees seemed to form some sort of tunnel, which I made my way down. 

It was dark and oppressive and I could not stop thinking about Kameron. What was he doing? Was he even alive? And if he was, how ever was I to find him again? I could feel the fear welling up in me. To suddenly realise you've got something and have it ripped away from beneath you. Maki could feel my pain and began grooming my hair gently. Suddenly the ground began to shudder.

"Chiko," Chikorita whispered in fear and Azriel tore through the bushes to where a particularly absurd looking Pokemon had just surfaced. 

"Diglett," it said, sounding almost depressed. A moment later, a ballastic Eevee barrelled into it.

"Vee, eee veee!" Azriel shrieked as he clawed at it, forcing it to retreat. Once it had fled back into the ground he pranced around looking most proud of himself.

"Chiko chikorita."

I could not quite understand, but I imagined it meant something along the lines of, "oh damn, now they know we're here."

We started moving with much haste. And suddenly the trees fell away from us. Beyond them, the mountain rose, tall and bare and oh, so very exposed. Sun glinted off the rock faces. It looked hideously barren and disturbed, aside from the top, where all seemed green.

"That's their chosen home?" I asked Chikorita.

The grass Pokemon nodded. And scowled, it appeared it still did not like me much. 

"Did you ever have a Trainer?" I asked it.

It nodded. It's eyes narrowed. "Chhiko chikorita ri ta ta." It muttered.

"Makimaki kimurr murr!" Maki insisted.

"Mur!" Kiki agreed.

They were trying to tell Chikorita that I was a good Trainer. It did not appear to belief them. We began making out slow way up the mountainside. We had not got far when Kiki, scampering ahead, called out in alarm. The mountain here was steep, but not too steep for the dinosaur Pokemon could cope, with its hoof-like feet. I scanned about, trying to find some kind of shelter, suddenly I spotted a small, well, let's call it a cave… Grabbing Chikorita, I dragged it and myself into the small cave. Maki and Azriel followed. Kiki crouched at the entrance way and chattered. Peering out we could see a large, reddish-orange shape soaring about the mountainside. I cowered as far back as I could, knowing that Charizards had good eyesight and this "Cave" was more a depression than a true cave. 

Chikorita was absolutely terrified, I could feel it shaking against me. And then the Charizard was past.

We sighed in relief. Waiting a few more moments before venturing out again, we made our way back to the mountainside and continued to make our slow way up the slope. Suddenly the ground shook and Kiki shrieked in fear. Azriel cowered behind my legs and Chikorita took a long step back. Standing before us was the Charizard.

"Charrrr!" It snarled. 

Chikorita seemed wanting to retreat down the mountainside and Azriel stepped forward, puffing his chest out. He was bold, he was strong. He was about to face a Charizard all on his lonesome. 

"I do not come here to hurt you," I said loudly and slowly. 

The Charizard lowered its head and glared at me. I felt chills travelling up and down my spine and the overwhelming desire to run away. "Charrrr?" It queried.

"My companions and I merely wish to pass through your terrain. As you can see, we are not exactly dangerous, we are merely travellers."

"Zarrrddd!" It growled, sounding unconvinced.

"Look, if you wish, I shall prove it to you that we are weak. I have here two Makimurs, an Eevee," Azriel snarled and tried to look tough, "and a Chikorita, all of which are ill-equipped to deal with a fine Charizard, such as yourself. Now, we could prove this by fighting a battle, but I fear my companions might be badly injured and I have no wish for that." I nudged Maki with my foot, he grabbed Kiki by the arm and jumped to the ground, behind me. I still had not properly trained then, but at least Maki did like to help me. They started chanting "maki, maki, maki," and twitching their tails in unison. The Charizard looked suspicious.

"Oh, they are just nervous," I said, sounding very nervous myself, "nothing so small could have an effect on you, you beautiful, powerful creature."

"Charrrr!" Charizard did not seem persuaded. It threw back its head in preparation to sending a gout of fire over us. I automatically threw myself over my Pokemon to protect them. Suddenly the world grew very, very hot. Sweat poured down my forehead. And then it was over, we were unscathed, and all we could hear was the Charizard roaring. I looked up to see we were surrounded by a glowing purple dome and the Charizard was batting itself in the face, trying to put out its own fire. Miracles will never cease. I grabbed my Pokemon, the ones small enough to grab and ran past the Charizard before it came to its senses enough to pursue.

Once we had covered a bit of distance, we paused to get out breath back. Chikorita stared at me.

"Chiko, ko," it pondered.

"Maki maki kiki mur!" Kiki said to it. Azriel squirmed in my arms. He wanted to know why he couldn't play with the big orange dragon. He grabbed my hair and sucked it fiercely. I set him on the ground.

I shouldn't have, with a tinge of glee, he spied the leaf on Chikorita's head and went for it, leaping onto the little dinosaur's back. I snatched him up again just in time.

"Come on guys, we've got to get going."

The Charizard circled above us, wary of getting too close. "Did you do that, Maki?" I asked. 

Maki looked at me innocently. "Maki, mur?" He replied. ("Who, me?")

A moment later we topped a rise and before us saw a strange lake. It was strange because of its location – a lake on a mountainside? A dry mountainside at that.

"Chiko," Chikorita nudged me in the leg. It was warning me to be cautious. There was very little cover though and we had to pass by the lake. Slowly, keeping close to the cover offered by boulders (pitiful cover, I shall just add) we made our way around the lake. 

And then we saw the Charizard above us, circling, a blast of fire struck the ground not ten feet from it, the heated air searing us. We panicked and ran towards the water, another blast of fire scorched the earth behind us and then we were on the shores of the lake. The final blast, close enough so that I could smell singed hair, forced us into the water and suddenly that began to shake around us.

Wavelets bet against our legs with surprising force, so strong that I would have scooped up Chikorita, had I not had my arms full of Azriel. Maki and Kiki clung to my shoulders, chittering in alarm. Something emerged from the water before us and I stumbled back.

My foot slipped beneath me and I crashed into the water and onto my back. Maki and Kiki leapt at the last minute, trying for the shore. An explosion of agony exploded through my jarred spine. Tears sprang to my eyes with the pain. The water was shallow, only up to my ankles and the Makimurs jumped onto my chest.

"Makimur!" One glared at the Blastoise that had just emerged from the water.

"Makiki!"

The Charizard soared over us, its fire searing across the water, sending up spirals of steam. The Blastoise stomped one foot, sending wavelets that lapped over me, making Kiki and Maki squeal in alarm. I tried to drag myself back out of the water but my legs were numb from the cold and the pain.

"Maki makimur!" Kiki insisted, looking at Maki.

"Maki," he sighed in resignation. And suddenly the two of them made a mighty leap from my chest and onto the Blastoise.

"Charrrr!" Charizard seemed annoyed, and swooped down, to be hit by a blast of razor leaves from the Chikorita. Azriel sprang, his little paws scratching the mighty dragon's tail, he managed to grip onto it. The Charizard started to flail madly, trying to shake the Eevee from its tail. The Blastoise sent a spray of water into the air from its hydrocannons. Maki and Kiki clung to its shell as the water cascading around them. Then, in duet, they both leapt up and into the cannons. I don't know what they did in there, but suddenly the Blastoise tumbled over backwards, cascading water over all of us. The Charizard meanwhile swooped lower, trying to dislodge Azriel and accidently hit the water with its tail. It splashed, steamed and then the dragon tumbled to the ground, its tail-flame flickering weakly. Even water was not strong enough to douse the Charizard's tail flame. My Makimur stuck their heads from the Blastoise's hydro pumps and scampered over to me. I dragged myself out of the water. "Is everyone okay?" I asked.

"Makiki!"

"Makikimur!"

"Eeee veee!"

Chikorita just smiled shyly.

"Okay guys, let's get out of here." We picked our way around the fallen Charizard and the Blastoise, which was lying weakly on its back in the water. My back throbbed and my head was starting to split with a wretched headache. We drank a little from the lake, for it was a hideously hot day and the sun streamed down like there was no tomorrow. And then we once again began our trek up the mountainside. I couldn't belief we had managed to fight two of the strongest Pokemon and win. It had to be to do with team work and a feeling of concern for each other.

We were nearly at the top when the third Pokemon found us. You've guessed it, it was a venusaur.

It saw us the moment we saw it and immediately "leapt" into action. It had been sunning itself, much the way any grass Pokemon would on a day like this (Maki and Kiki had been doing so on my shoulders). Two vine whips struck out, the first one caught me about the ankles and I was so tired I had not the strength to dodge. I tumbled over into the dirt. Pain, once again, shot through my back. This was beginning to get tedious.

Maki and Kiki sprang into action, waggling their tails and chanting, but the Venusaur's vinewhip sent them sprawling to. Maki tumbled over the edge of the mountain and Kiki immediately ran over to help him. I was terrified, especially when the Venusaur came charging at us.

Scrabbling madly in the dirt, I tried to regain my footing, but the ground here was slippery and I was so sore and tired. I could not escape. Azriel leapt to his feet and growled at the Venusaur, just at that moment it charged. 

"EeVEEE!" The gutsy Eevee shrieked as he sprang at the mighty frog-like Pokemon. I rolled as best I could, finding myself slipping down the slope. 

"SAUUURRR!" The Venusaur sounded awfully mad. I hit a rock and felt the jar through to my teeth. As I crawled to me hands and knees, I saw that the Venusaur was preparing to charge at me again. Azriel sat on its back, madly trying to keep his balance and also, it appeared, trying to pull off one of the leaves. Suddenly Chikorita jumped in front of it.

"Chiko!" It shrieked, lowering its head and sending razor edged leaves at the large flower Pokemon. The Venusaur, about to charge, drew back and sent a brilliant beam of light directly at us. We all shied away, I covered my eyes, but it was no good. I was blinded. Suddenly the Venusaur must have hit me, for the world moved beneath me and everything went black.

When I awoke, pain was exploding down my spine immensely, so badly I could hardly move. I forced my eyes open and found myself staring upwards, at the sky. I was lying on a ledge after having fallen about ten feet down the cliff. No wonder I was in agony. Maki chittered worriedly from beside me and nuzzled my cheek. Despite the grogginess in my mind I realised that he must have tumbled from the ledge earlier, but was better off being smaller and lighter.

"I don't think I can stand up," I whispered. Maki nudged me worriedly.

"Makimur," he said sadly. ("Please try.")

Holding onto a rock for support, I dragged myself into a crouching position.

"Makiki!" Maki said happily.

"I'm still down here, boy," I said. "And I 'm not sure how to get up there."

I wondered if the Venusaur was still up there, roaring around trying to get to me. But all seemed quiet. I stared at the cliff face. "I don't think I can get up there," I stated to the world in general.

"Makiki kimur!" ("Sure you can!")

"I wish I had your optimism." I stared upwards. "Well, here goes nothing." It was, after all, only ten feet. 

Gritting my teeth, I clutched the rock face and began to slowly pull myself up. A moment later a face peered over the side.

"Chiko?" Suddenly two vinewhips reached down and grabbed me about my waist.

"Makiki!" Maki said happily. "Maki ki ki ki ki ki ki," he began chanting. From up above I could hear Kiki chanting the same. Then Maki jumped up and bit me on the ankle.

"Ow, what was that for?" I cursed, and suddenly I felt myself growing lighter. The climb became easier, because I now had less mass to lift up the side. I reached the top and collapsed. Azriel immediately hobbled over, limping heavily, he nudged me with his cold little nose.

"Maki!" Kiki shrieked, leaping up to him and embracing him so enthusiastically he almost fell over the edge again. "Maki kimur!" She nuzzled his ear.

Chikorita merely stood there, retracting its vine whips and shook its head sadly. "Chiko." I wondered what it was sad about. Then I saw the Venusaur behind us. It too was in a terrible state, for it appeared Azriel had had some success removing its leaves and it was sagging there, injured and wary. I sighed. I knew something had to be done. I walked over to it, holding my hands up so it could see I meant no harm.

"I wish to help you," I said. "For I feel bad for wounding you and your companions. If you had not hurt us, I would not have sought to injure you."

"Saur," it muttered, sounding unconvinced.

But it let me place my hands on its broad nose. I closed my eyes, mindful of the fact that it could do severe damage to me at any moment it chose to, and I concentrated.

My hands began to buzz with energy as I gave some of my energy to the frog-like beast.

Then I collapsed backwards, cushioned by Chikorita who somehow managed to catch me.

Everything went blurry and I knew I had overdone it, knew I had finally healed too much of myself away.

My vision cleared and I found myself still staring into the large eyes of the grass Pokemon.

"Venus-SAUR," it said, not sounding particularly angry. "Ven ven saur."

Chikorita nudged me. "Chiko," it said.

"Are you saying I can pass?" I asked, unbelieving.

"Venus SAUR saur saur!" It nodded.

Oh, how I wished I understood them! However, at least I had the message right.

I patted it on the nose. "Thank you, you majestic powerful creature," and then I found myself a walking stick and hobbled off up the mountain-side.

I may have imagined it, but I think the Venusaur's cheeks turned reddish, as though it were blushing.

Much to my surprise, Chikorita walked close beside me, offering its back for me to lean on. I was startled, why was it being so nice to me? Azriel, seeming to have recovered from his injury followed it along and tried to catch its leaf again. That little Eevee was incorrigiable!

Without further interference, we reached the tree MewTwo had told us about. It was a huge plant, despite the fact that it was high up the mountainside, far from water, it seemed healthy. A single fruit, red in the late afternoon sun, glinted.

I sagged, leaning against the tree. "I guess it's your turn now, guys," I said to Maki and Kiki.

"Maki kimur!" They said in unison and ran up the tree, carrying the fruit down between them, gingerly, as though if they dropped it it would break.

I held it in my hands, the fruit appeared vaguely purplish, almost metallic. It was beautiful. With much care I wrapped it up in some leaves and placed it in my pocket, then I sat back and rested, watching my Pokemon.

Chikorita had fallen asleep beneath the tree, and Azriel, seemingly now obsessed with the dinosaur Pokemon's head plume, was batting it about with one paw. Lazily, Chikorita rolled over, and clamped its teeth onto the Eevee's tail. Azriel yowled and tried to run away, but the Chikorita held on, then let go and nudged the Eevee over with its head. Azriel rolled, bounced back to his feet and crouched low, in preparation for another ambush. But Chikorita was wise to it now. It twitched its tail. Azriel's eyes were irrisistably drawn to the appendage. His tail twitched, much as a cats does before it pounces. And then, he sprung.

At the last possible moment, Chikorita pulled its tail away, and Azriel missed, tumbling into a forward roll.

"Ee Vee," he muttered angrily.

"Chik ik ik ik," Chikorita chuckled.

I smiled and relaxed. It was a long walk home.

* Part 3 *

Strangely enough, that night and the walk home the following day passed uneventfully. The Charizard, now recovered, followed us, watching carefully, but made no move to attack us and I felt we had earned our right to be here. Chikorita looked happy, it pranced and teased Azriel for all it was worth. Maki and Kiki threw the unripe apple Kiki had brought me back and forth across my head and I earned a couple of new bruises to add to my collection. My entire body was pained, but I was oddly jubilent.

We met the talking Clefable at the gates of the village. Florion, Ozmos and Dragosi all ran (or flew) to greet me enthusiastically.

"Thee maaaster, he siickens," the Clefable sang, and hurried off.

I hastened after it, as fast as my bruises would allow.

MewTwo, if it were possible, looked even worse then he had the day before. His eyes were more sunken, his skin paler.

Did you … get it? He asked.

I unwrapped the hallowed fruit and held it out to him. He tried to hold it, but it kept slipping through his fingers. Finally I broke a bit off with my teeth (unhygenic, but it worked) and fed it to him.

As he chewed the piece, I noticed that his skin grew less pallid, less wretched. And by the time he had finished the fruit, he looked, although not healthy, less on death's door.

Thank you Kataryna, he said. For your help and kindness, I shall give you a gift. He reached out one three fingered hand and I stepped closer, taking it in my own. A strange feeling passed through me, sort of like my healing ability, but not quite… I have given you the ability to mindspeak with other Pokemon, he sent, It will not work all the time, but it will work on Pokemon you are not bonded with. I know you are able to understand your own Pokemon, which is more than most people are able. You are a great Pokemon Friend, Kataryna, and I am honoured to have met you.

I smiled, a little embarrassed by the treatment. "I am honoured to have met you too, most powerful Pokemon ever to have lived," I replied, "I cannot help but notice that you have changed a great deal since my cousin Ash met with you, and I like it."

And you too, have changed a lot, Bishurio, and you shall change a lot more. You are welcome to stay here until you are fit again.

"No," I said, "my friend is out there somewhere and he may be hurt, I have to find him." I wondered what the strange term he had referred to me as meant, but decided it was not important. "I shall stay here tonight and we shall depart tomorrow morning."

Then you must tell us a tale, MewTwo informed me.

And so I did.

The next day, I headed back to the beach, a bevy of Pokemon following me. And there I found Lapras, frolicking in the waters. When it saw me it called out to me, "preeee!"

"You're still here!" I exclaimed, "you needn't be."

"Praaaa!"

She likes you, she had a Trainer once, a young man whom she grew fond of. MewTwo, leaning heavily on a walking stick, sent. And she wants you to help track down the Pirates that hurt her, and me and are killing Pokemon all over the Orange Islands. It is a fine challenge you have chosen for yourself, my girl.

"I will stop them," I said. "But what of Kameron?"

He seeks you, just as you seek him, MewTwo replied, you shall be fine. He handed me a small bag, I opened it, it contained all my Pokeballs, some food and a change of clothing. I dared not ask where that came from. Some of your companions are not too fond of sailing the seas, he informed me, so I have returned the Hate Balls, knowing you will not use them for any purpose but security.

"Thank you all," I said, "I am honoured to have spent time with you and I promise your haven will remain safe with me. Come on guys!" Lapras came ashore and we all clambered on, Maki and Kiki perching on her head. Azriel positioned himself near her tail, still eyeing it comically. Florion curled up behind her neck and Ozmos sat primly beside him. And Dragosi recalled himself into his ball. Either he had no love for travelling or realised he was too large to perch and would have to fly.

"Va por!"

"Flori!"

"Kiki makiki!"

"Ee veee!"

"Preeee!"

We all said our farewells and suddenly…

"Chiko, chiko chik!" Chikorita came running across the sand towards us.

She wants to know if she can come with you, MewTwo sent to me. I think she has realised Trainers are not so bad after all. Will you honour her with your company?

"Of course," I replied, feeling jubilant, "welcome aboard Chiko!" I grabbed her front legs and hauled her up to sit in front of me.

Say hello to my sister, when you meet her, was the final message MewTwo sent, as Lapras swam off into the sunset.


	5. Clash with the Pirates

# Clash with the Pirates

** WARNING: This story is somewhat more violent then the others and may disturb younger readers. Because of this, I have rated it PG-13**

"What happens if he's dead?" I asked rhetorically, sitting on the back of the Lapras as she surfed over the waves.

"Makiki!" Maki stated, sounding almost alarmed.

"But he could be," I replied. I was not concerned about Razor, whom I had not seen since I had released him when facing the Orka, at least he was in his element. But Kameron, on the other hand…

"Maki muRR!" He shook his head vehemontly.

"Oh, what do you know?" I glared at him, "you're not his Pokemon."

Maki muttered to himself and rolled his eyes.

"What are we doing here anyway?" It had been half a day since we had left the island of the Free Pokemon, waved goodbye to MewTwo, the talking Clefable and all the others, and I was starting to get decidedly disgruntled. The ocean was a huge place, how was I supposed to find Kameron in it? How was I supposed to find anything? All I could think about was that I might never find him, that he might be lost to me forever and that thought saddened me to the bottom of my heart. I loved him, yes, but it went beyond that, we were bonded to each other, much as Maki was bonded to me, but in a much different way. More like how Ozmos and Florion were bonded to each other. Ozmos yawned, her sharp canine teeth, specially developed for killing fish, glinted in the sunlight. Florion, stretched out beside her across the shell of the lapras, nudged her and stared at me.

"Flori, florion," he insisted.

I knew they were all trying to reassure me that Kameron was fine, but somehow it just didn't quite work that way. I was sick to the pit of my stomach.

If Kameron was dead, was there any point in my continued existence?

"Maki maki MUR!!" Maki scolded me, as though he had read my thoughts (as he possibly had). "Maki KI!"

"I'm sorry," I whispered to him, "I just don't know what to do, where to look."

"Siiiii!" Something shrieked from overhead and I saw Dragosi soar over. I had released him from his Pokeball some time ago, because with his wings he could travel large distances and look for land or ships. Apparently, he had seen one of the latter.

"A ship?" I asked him.

"Draaaa go siii!"

A big ship, just what we needed, maybe they'd rescued Kameron. "Okay, lead us to it! Lapras, follow him."

"La praaaaaa!"

Dragosi banked sharply, turning abruptly in the air, his wings buzzing and began to flap off. Lapras trilled again and swam strongly in the same direction. Kiki, perched beside the Pokemon's horn, hugged it tightly and shrieked happily. Her tail flared out behind her, bristling in the wind. Azriel, who had fallen asleep across my lap, woke up and braced himself standing on the shell so that the wind rippled across his fur and along to his tail.

"Draa draaa go siiii!" Suddenly Dragosi flew back towards us, looking alarmed. "Siiii, draaaa siiii!" He shrieked.

"Stop lapras!" I shouted. For what Dragosi had just told me was very bad news indeed.

There was something very wrong with the ship.

As a psychic dragon-type, he could sense auras and atmosphere and what he was sensing from the ship was very bad indeed.

It was a ship of death.

Why he had led us there in the first place, I knew not, perhaps he had been too far away to sense it fully, or perhaps he had just not realised how bad it was.

"Have they seen you?" I asked him.

"Goooo!" He replied.

"Good, then let's head for the nearest piece of land, can you find that for us?" My fears for Kameron had taken a backseat for the moment, because it was likely that this ship was the one we sought, the one with the pirates, or poachers or whatever they were.

"Si!" He circled once and flapped off in a different direction. Without a command from me, Lapras followed him. I grabbed Chiko, for she was not well built for riding on the back of a sea monster. 

"Chiko," she thanked me. I was glad that now she seemed to like me, and figured it had something to do with the fact I had thrown myself over her when a Charizard had flamed at us. Luckily the blast had been blocked or it could have been most unpleasant, regardless!

Dragosi led us into a pleasant little cove, of an island that seemed unihabited. I didn't know how many islands there were in the Orange Islands, only that there were probably somewhere in the hundreds. Fewer than half of which were inhabited, with at least a handful that had not even been visited at all, due to being surrounded by sheer cliffs, or in the case of the Free Island, constant mists. Chiko jumped enthusiastically onto the land and Azriel followed close after, as always, chasing the leaf on her head.

"Come on guys, let's go get something to eat."

"Kiki maki!" My two lemur Pokemon bounced ashore as if their legs were made of springs. Kiki immediately sprang up a tree and Maki followed, giving one final, long glance back at me, as though asking for permission to play.

"Go ahead," I shouted, "have fun all of you! Lapras," I added more quietly, "you have two choices, either you stay here, or I'll call you into a Pokeball and you can rest where it's safe, just in case the poachers make it here."

"Praaaasss."

"Okay, if you're sure, you can always alert us if disaster strikes." I clambered off the Pokemon's broad back and into the woodland.

Immediately, Maki and Kiki darted down from the trees carrying armloads of fruit. We settled down for a nice picnic and then surveyed our surroundings until daylight faded into dusk.

* * *

"Vap vap!" Ozmos yelped, running up the bank and barrelling into me. We had a fairly perfunctory camp, since I had no tent or sleeping bags. "Vap por reon."

Somebody had entered the Cove. A ship. I peered through the bushes and saw that it was a large vessel, with a Dolfin front piece and white sails, which had been brought down. It looked like the vessel we had seen earlier, in the distance. The one Dragosi had been scared of. Words on the side proclaimed its name was "Wave Leaper."

I hugged Ozmos reassuringly and Florion came forward and nuzzled my hand. What I was most worried about was the Lapras, whom I had taken to calling "Nessie". I hoped she had not been sighted, but I was sure she knew how to hide.

"Okay guys," I said, calling my Pokemon to me, "these people are probably dangerous so I give you a choice, either hide in your balls with me – which means if I get caught, you do too, or hide in the forest as best you can. Remember, these people have a special gun that damages psychic Pokemon."

"Makiki," Maki clutched my leg, letting me know he would not abandon me to hide.

Kiki, looking nervous, crept forward and clutched to the other one – she was frightened but would stay with him.

Dragosi retreated into his Pokeball and Azriel bulleted into my arms.

Florion seemed indescisive, oddly enough. When Ozmos came forward to say that she was with me on this one, Florion nudged her.

"Flori flori florion," he hissed to her, and I knew not what he was saying, just that he really didn't think she should go.

"Va porrr," Ozmos said in resignation, retreating back to sit beside her.

I wondered what it was for a minute but unfortunately, I had further things to arrange and worry about. I looked at Chiko, the only one of my Pokemon friends that had not yet given a decision.

"Chiko, ko," she muttered. "Chiko riTA!"

"Okay then, Chiko, return," I said, flicking out an empty Pokeball. Her newfound trust in me was amazing, to allow herself to be locked away in one of those balls when before she had despised Trainers for all she was worth!

"Here goes…" I muttered.

* * *

Through the shielding undergrowth, I could see the ship. Several occupants poured out of it, the leader being a tall, muscular woman wearing what appeared to be old fashioned attire – a fringed jacket and trousers with gold leafing down the sides. She looked both ridiculous and imposing. At her heels trotted a big black dog. What appeared to be horns protuded from its narrow head and its tail terminated in a point, not unlike a spade. Behind her came several more people, clad in much simpler attire – baggy shirts with huge sleeves (the sort you could lose a Makimur in) and dark trousers. I was not, alas, close enough to actually here what they were saying.

The dog Pokemon started sniffing around in the bushes and I grew worried for a moment there as it started heading towards me.

"Devilin!" The woman called sharply, "come back here you rogue!"

The dog whimpered and returned to her side but it glanced over at us and for a moment I could feel its cold, hard eyes boring into me.

"Maki, Kiki," I hissed to my two lemur Pokemon. "Follow them!"

"Maki murrr…" Maki did not want to leave my side, but he knew it was important. Nuzzling my ear, he leapt into the nearby tree. Kiki followed. The two of them darted off into the trees, following the absuredly clad woman and her followers.

Meanwhile, I moved closer to the ship. The gangplank had been lifted as the crew vacated so I drew out Dragosi. "Can you fly us on board, then find Lapras?" I asked him.

"Si."

I clambered onto his broad back and he buzzed across the gap. Then I clambered off and he flew away. Of course, somebody was still on board.

"Hey, what are you doing here!" He demanded, snapping to attention quickly, given the fact he had been all but asleep.

"Just visiting," I said. "Azriel, stay here."

Azriel was growling at my feet. 

The man, who was wearing an azure shirt with voluptuous sleeves, drew a gun from his belt. Quickly he brought it up so that I stared down the barrel. It was no normal gun, the barrel was too wide.

"You shouldn't be here," he said, his voice flat and emotionless. His finger twitched on the trigger. Something large and purple descended on him, striking him in the back of the head. The barrel flashed with violet light and I threw myself to the deck as he took out a section of the sail.

"Eeveee!" Azriel shrieked, darting forward and biting the man on the ankle. Dragosi flapped into the air.

"Thank you so much!" I said to my Dragonfly Pokemon, gratitude rampant in my voice.

"Go siiii!" He seemed pleased. The man was trying to stagger to his feet and I threw myself at him before he had a chance to regain hold on the trigger. I wrestled the gun from his hand using my undamaged hand. 

"Now," I said calmly, sitting astride him and holding the gun angled towards his head. "What is it that you and your friends are doing here?"

Not that I couldn't smell it, the death, the blood, the viscera, I could smell something of what went on here.

"What's it to you?" He mumbled.

"Well, I seem to have a gun pointed at you, and yes, I do know how to use it." I was bluffing of course, I could never shoot anyway, even though I knew the evils he had committed. His clothing stank of death. "So, will you tell me?"

"We're hunting Lapras," he replied, "Pokemon meat is a delicacy in some cultures and we can fetch quite a price for Lapras meat."

"So why did you shoot Mewtwo?"

"What?"

I sighed. "Azriel, Chiko, find some rope or something and bring it here." My Pokemon hurried off and eventually returned carrying some rope and dragging a net behind it. 

"Now, I'm going to tie you up," I said, "and I would just like to remind you that I have a gun and I will use it."

He stayed motionless whilst I tied the ropes about him and bound him to the nearest post. I also stuck a wad of cloth across his mouth, tying it firmly in place. Dragosi buzzed off again to find Lapras. Once he was secured to my liking, I crouched in front of him.

"Do you know it's illegal to kill endangered species?" I asked.

He just glared at me, his grey eyes filled with hate.

"Fair enough," I replied. With one hand I flicked a bundle of keys at him. I had removed them whilst I was tying him up. "Come on guys, let's go see what we can do."

You will notice, that by now I seemed to have got over the "I'm breaking the law thing". As far as I was concerned, these people were the epitome of evil, killing Lapras for their meat… And they had hurt Mewtwo and Nessie. I thought a bit of breaking and entering was forgivable.

It took me a while to find a large and rather savage looking knife, with which I slashed open the nets on the deck as best I could. Chiko helped me out here, using her razor-edged leaves to shred the mesh and Azriel darted in, trying to tear open the net with his teeth and claws and ended up getting hopelessly tangled in it. I slashed him free with great care. He leapt into my arms and licked my face in gratitude. And then something caught my eyes. A birdcage was tied to the main shaft. In it sat a small bird with irridescent blue feathers and a tufted feather crown.

"What's that?" I asked my Pokemon, both of whom shrugged and shook their heads.

I moved closer to investigate. It had a long beak, such as was useful for fish eating birds and seemed about as harmless as they come. "What are you?" I asked.

"Haaalll cyON," it squawked at me.

"A Halcyon?" I thought I remembered Mewtwo mentioning them. I opened the cage and the bird flashed out, azure feathers flashing in the moonlight. 

And then I proceeded below deck. 

The door was unlocked, oddly enough and I walked down a narrow staircase, pausing as I heard laughter and noise below me. Obviously the guard on the deck was not alone. With as much caution as I could muster (and picking up Azriel to make sure he behaved), I walked further into the ship. 

It was a fairly simple arrangement here, the cabin was up a flight of stairs at the far end of this room from which another door lead into the room where laughter and noise was issuing. This room appeared to be mainly used for storage as it was filled with hooks and nets and large, savage looking knives. There were none of the guns here, however. I knelt before the door and listened to the conversation beyond it. From what I could hear, they appeared to be playing poker. Then, suddenly, I heard footsteps coming towards the door. Immediately I ducked behind a pile of nets, just in time because at that instant the door swung open and a smallish woman walked out, closing the door behind her.

"They had to leave us behind," she muttered to herself, "just because we're crew." Her clothing was different from the others, she wore a tattered shirt and jeans with torn knees.

Suddenly, an idea dawned on me. I watched her walk up and onto deck and followed after her. If she found the trussed sailor, she would immediately know something was wrong. As she got to deck, I dived on her from behind (I had put Azriel down, of course) and pushed her to the deck.

"Now," I hissed in her ear, she was too startled to scream, "I want to acquire your attire, if you would be so kind."

She whimpered a little. "Who are you?"

"I am a protector of Pokemon," I replied, "and that is all you need to know, right?"

She nodded.

"Now, I want you to take off your clothing and pass it to me. Don't scream, because I wouldn't like that and I got a gun off your companion earlier." Chiko held her still with her vine whips and I dressed myself in the ragged attire and dirtied my face a little (although it was already pretty dirty). My hair was the wrong colour, it was too red and the clothing was too baggy on me (this woman had more curves), but I hoped that I would at least go slightly unnoticed. I then gagged and bound her as I had the man. They both stared at me with wide, frightened eyes. As if one teenager could take over a whole ship by herself! 

Shaking a little, I headed back downstairs, having recalled Chiko and Azriel (they were a little too obvious). As I approached the door somebody from beyond it shouted out; "Alliana, back already?"

Nervously, I pushed open the door and was immediately hit by a wall of smoke and the stench of alcohol. It was rather unpleasant. 

I entered the room, hoping the loose shirt covered the Pokeballs about my waist. Everybody turned to stare at me, but in the grainy light coming from the lantern on the table, I doubt they noticed the hair colouration difference. If they did, their reaction did not show it. I walked in and sat down. One of the people, and there were four in the room, chuckled. 

"Aren't you going to grab your cards, Alliana?"

I smiled shyly. "Sorry," I muttered, "I just don't feel to well."

"Oh, the poor girl's getting landsick," one of the men in a purple shirt with gold edging chuckled. He patted me on the shoulder, I almost snarled at him, but restrained myself. I took up my cards and studied them. I wished I could remember how to play Poker, but I had not been paying attention when Kameron had tried to teach me. I sighed. "I think I'll go to bed," I whispered and stood up, heading for the door on the far side of the room.

"Must be real sick," one of the men chuckled, "you're bed's in here girl."

Suddenly they all stood up, three men and one woman and they glared at me. 

"You must think we're stupid or something," one said smoothly, "you're not Alliana. What have you done with her?"

In two paces I could be at the door. I ran. Immediately footsteps pounded after me. I threw the door open in their face and ran down the corridor beyond. Like all boats, it was built to make best advantage of the space and thus was a narrow corridor with doors off every side. The footsteps got closer. I whirled. "Go Azriel, go Chiko!"

"Eee veeee!"

"Chiko RITA!" My brave Pokemon sprang out. I scrabbled for the gun, praying I wouldn't need it. 

The first person, the man in the purple shirt, met Azriel head on, in a flying tackle. He fell backwards as the Eevee barrelled into his chest, rocketing over him and bouncing into the person behind him. Just to make sure he was properly over, Chiko wacked him about the ankles with a vine-whip, causing him to fall backwards. Suddenly a shot rang out. Chiko tumbled over backwards as a hole was ripped open in her leaf-plume. I screamed in rage and shot at one of the people.

They could not get away with shooting my friends!

The blast of violet light scraped by them, and the smell of singed hair filled the hallway.

"Argh!" He screamed, leaping aside. "She's got one of the energy guns!"

The woman sighed. "Don't shoot," she said, almost tiredly, "what do you want?"

"I want you to stop killing Lapras," I replied, "and I'm going to see to it that you do." I was beginning to wonder why I had come in here myself, since I had already damaged the nets.

I suppose it's true what they say, curiosity killed the cat.

And I was, after all, Kat. 

"I wonder if she's with the others," the man at the back muttered.

"Shut up, fool!" The woman snapped at him. "Oh, aren't you the brave one," this was directed at me, "wanting to help save the Lapras. Good on you." The sarcasm dripped from her voice like treacle. "Unfortunately, we have guns too."

Another shot rang out, hitting me in the arm. Luckily, it was my already wounded arm. I shouted in pain and fell back against the wall. The hot blood trickled down my forearm and my head throbbed with a strange unnatural pain. Colours flashed behind my eyes, silver, white, black. Black… I fought to keep consciousness.

"Chiko!" A blast of bright white light lit up the hallway, followed by a volley of razor-edged leaves. One man was already down, now another fell, clutching the scratches that covered his body. 

I staggered to my feet and pulled off another shot, this time catching the woman in the shoulder. Then my hand gave up and the gun clattered to the floor. The woman, who had barely been glanced marched over to me and grasped me to her before my Pokemon could object. 

"I've had just about enough of this," she said. "And if you Pokemon lay a paw on any of my men, I will shoot her and you better believe it."

Chiko looked downcast and Azriel growled.

"No," I whispered, "listen to her, run and find help! Get yourselves away from here!"

The woman laughed. "Oh, nice, nice, get away from here, yes, how very noble of you. Perhaps you should, oh, I don't know, sacrifice yourself bravely?"

"What other ones?" I asked. As I said before, curiosity killed the cat.

"Nothing for you to bother your pretty little head about," she said softly. "Nothing at all. Now, let's see you going somewhere out of the way."

I was about to bravely protest, after all, two of them were injured, when one of them lunged and grabbed Azriel.

"I've got your little brown puppy," he said, grinning malevolently. "I think, perhaps you might go with us now?"

"Eee veee!" Azriel whimpered. "Veeee!"

I had no choice but to allow myself to be taken down to the very bowels of the ship. The place stank of death, of meat and fat and blood. It made my head reel. And I was already feeling giddy. It seemed the gun had affected my minor psychic talent in some way. I could hardly resist as my Pokemon and I were bound to support beams in the innards of the ship, the place of death.

"We'll be back for you later," she muttered, and they left us alone in the darkness.

I heard a voice whisper, "Kat, is that you? It can't be?"

It was too dark to see, but I recognised the voice immediately. Despite my captive state and the unlikeliness of freedom, my heart soared.

"Kameron!" I shouted. "You're alive!"

"I was last time I checked," he replied, with a characteristic twinge of wry humour. "But I'm a little tied up at present. I really wish I wasn't," he concluded sadly.

So did I, after days of missing him, agonising about him even being alive, I wanted nothing more than to hold him in my arms, reassuring myself that he was here and he was alive.

But it was not to be.

"Chiko?" Chikorita queried.

"What is that?" Kameron asked, "have you caught yourself new Pokemon?"

"Chiko Chiko RITAA!"

"Not exactly, she kind of volunteered. How are your Pokemon?"

"They took them away from me, but I guess they're okay. Except poor Azriel. He got washed away." The sorrow filled his voice. I wished I'd remembered to tell him.

"EE VEEEE!" Azriel declared that statement as being untrue.

Kameron burst out laughing, "Azriel, you're alive too! Oh man. I wish we weren't captured, I'd give you all a big hug!" He paused, "where's Maki?"

"Maki and Kiki followed the group when they left the ship. There's only six of them on board at the moment and some are injured. If we're going to fight, now's the time to!"

"Chiko, can you give us some light please?"

"Ko!" A glowing aura surrounded the Chikorita. Light screen. Now at least we could see. 

The bowels of the ship were far from pleasant – large pots stood around the room, the scent of ageing fat enveloping from them. Skins hung from the walls, skins of a bluish-green nature, such as might be found on, say, a Lapras. I shuddered. And if I turned my head slightly, I could just see Kameron in my peripheral vision and beyond him…

"Captain Robynson?"

"Yep," replied the old man, "I'm here too. When you fell overboard it was all I could do to stop Kameron jumping after you. Luckily I managed to radio for help and another ship came to help us out."

"I wanted to help you," Kameron muttered, "I really did."

"Oh, come on kid, in waters like that you couldn't see her to rescue her. It was horrible," he added. "I thought I was going to lose both my passengers, the nice young folk that were keepin' me company on a long trip. I almost had to tie him to the rigging. Unfortunately, the folks that rescued us were these fellows, the pirates, they bound us up down here and I have no idea what they're going to do with us. However, the little Eevee made a run for it and fell off the boat. Kameron would've jumped after him too. Foolish kid, but he's got a good heart. You're one lucky girl."

"Nah, I'm the lucky one," Kameron muttered.

"Anyways, now we're caught here and who knows what the hades they're going to do to us. Funny thing was though, the waves around their boat was calm, weirdest thing I ever saw. Makes me think of a legend."

After gaining no response from us, he continued regardless, "a bird called the Halcyon, able to calm the waves with the beating of its wings. Never seen one meself and I've been sailing for years but it's said they only breed during the summer solstice and they have to calm the waters so as they can breed." He paused, "or something like that."

"They had one," I replied, "I let it go."

"Good on ya kid. But now I think we'd better see about getting out of here. Anyone got any bright ideas?"

Kameron sighed. "I didn't earlier and I don't now," he muttered.

I pondered, there must be some way out, I had Chikorita and Azriel with me after all. Suddenly it occurred to me.

"Chiko, can you untie the ropes with your vinewhip?"

"Iko," she shook her head. I guess she lacked the manual dexterity.

By the way, my arm was throbbing now, almost beyond throbbing and the blood had dried into a matted patch. Every time I moved my hand, pain erupted through my shoulder with avengence. I had not mentioned my injury to Kameron, no point in worrying him further. I had also not mentioned that my vision was taking little dips and dives before my eyes.

I clenched my teeth against the pain.

Kameron must have sensed something was wrong, "try razor leaf then, please!" He said, despair becoming evident in his voice.

"KO!" Chiko shot leaves from wherever they came from and aimed them at my ropes. Some hit the rope, but others hit me and the sharp edges bit into my flesh, drawing droplets of blood. I drew my hands apart and the rope came with them. I was free!

Suddenly something hit the side of the boat. It sounded like that oh too familiar sound of boards cracking under the impact of… let's say an icebeam. Water began to trickle in.

"I don't want to drown again!" I shouted, pulling my hands apart and almost falling over with the motion. I was dizzying then I had thought. I caught myself on one hand and staggered to me feet, just as the boat lurched sharply, throwing me against the post.

"Oof," I muttered as I tried to stagger across the rocking floor to Kameron. Now he saw my injuries.

"Oh, Kat," he whispered.

Water began to pool about our feet. The boat lurched again, throwing me into Kameron but this was not the time to think about such things. I fumbled with the rope but was having great difficulty. My left hand refused to work without agony and my right hand was growing numb in sympathy.

"Get the knife!" Captain Robynson shouted, as shrieks and yells came from above us.

"What knife?" Then I saw it, glinting some distance away on a narrow bench. I kissed Kameron on the lips, "I'll be right back, my love," I whispered and made my way across the unsteady floor.

Twice the boat lurched again, sending me to meet the hard wooden floor with force. The first time I reflexively brought up my hands to catch myself and the pain that exploded through my wounded limb caused me to black out for several seconds. And suddenly, finally, I made it. My right hand clasped around the knife and I crawled back to Kameron, slashing the rope with as much care as I could muster.

He pulled his arms free and wrapped them around me, squeezing me so tightly I thought my ribs would break.

"Oh Kataryna," he whispered, "I thought you were dead. And I couldn't bear it."

A cough sounded. "Excuse me, this is all very sweet but I'm kinda in trouble here, kids."

I chuckled, although the situation was not humorous. Kameron took the knife from my hand and, supporting me against him, sliced free the Captain. We then turned our attentions to my Pokemon.

"Eeee VEEEE!" Azriel threw himself enthusiastically into Kameron's arms, licking his face and hands and neatly pushing me aside. Chiko was much more reserved. We were now ankle deep in water, and sinking. Light showed through cracks in the walls, thick, grey light, such as is found in the evenings.

"The boat's sinking!" The Captain shouted, having already experienced such already this week. "Little leaf-headed Pokemon, please lead us out of here!"

"Chiko rita!" Chiko did not seem too upset at being referred to as a "leaf-headed Pokemon". I think she was too stressed out. We ran for the staircase, sloshing through the water and stumbling every time the boat lurched. By the time we reached the stairs, the water was up to mid-calf. It was cold and I remembered why I hated water. The pain in my arm was getting worse, a burning pain that had spread beyond the injury and into my entire body. Every few seconds my vision flashed blurred, although whether that was from the gun or the injury I knew not. Kameron supported me, and whispered encouragement in my ear.

He half pushed me up the stairs and suddenly we found ourselves in that hallway again. At least the people on board should be evacuating! Kameron glanced at the doors surrounding us and I knew he was wanting to find his Pokemon. But I also knew that time was not on our side. If we lingered, we would surely drown. Also, if we lingered I was going to pass out from pain. Somebody came running down the hallway towards us, the damned woman again.

"You're not going to escape that easily!" She shouted, supporting herself against the walls as she drew a gun. "I know you're responsible for this, somehow!"

"Responsible for what?" Kameron asked innocently. A hole suddenly appeared in the roof and water starting dripping down. We were above the water line now so it was somewhat safer, it was not bucket loads.

"Don't give me that rubbish," she said, and pulled the trigger.

The boat lurched and another hole appeared in the wall. Captain Robynson barrelled past us and into her. His weight threw her against the wall.

"Run!" He shouted. We pushed past him and ran.

Behind us another gunshot rang out, making both Kameron and I shudder. Tears were already streaming down my face, from pain and the mental agony I was fighting and I saw now that Kameron's cheeks were wet too. It was worse for him, he could _feel_ what was happening. At least I didn't have the "curse" of empathy. Azriel nuzzled me, he was currently stretched across Kameron's shoulders, like a fur stole. We stumbled onto deck. Immediately something large and purple swooped down and hovered before us, wings buzzing. Gallantly, Kameron lifted me onto Dragosi's back.

"Recall Chikorita," he said to me, jumping behind me.

"Oh, yeah," I was in something of a daze, thanks to the pain and the emotional distress. "Chiko, return." Chiko returned to the sanctuary of her Pokeball and Dragosi buzzed away, just as the woman appeared at the door to the cabin and tried to fire off another shot. Thankfully it went wild.

"What about the Captain?" I whispered.

Kameron just clutched me tightly and shook his head.

And then blackness consumed me again.

* * *

"Look!" Dragosi circled about it and my vision returned. I think I must have been unconscious for only a couple of minutes. The inlet was teaming with water Pokemon. Lapras were shooting ice beams, and I fancied I could see some other, more unusual Pokemon there, long and serpentine.

"Dragonaire," Kameron confirmed my suspicions. "They're sinking the ship!" He sounded incredulous. I hated to think what they were doing to the sailors that fallen into the water, but I doubted it could possibly be any worse then what they had done to the poor Captain. Dragosi set us down in the forest.

"I lost my Pokemon," Kameron said softly, "but I'm glad I didn't lose you."

"Me too," I replied, as he drew me close to him and into a kiss (a real kiss this time, you know what I mean, I ain't going to get any soppier then this, and that's a promise!).

And the worries of the world were forgotten. At least for now.

* * *

"Flori, florion!"

"Va POR!" My two Eeveelutions threw themselves at me enthusisatically. Florion was especially affectionate over Kameron, nuzzling him and whimpering.

"I think they're glad to see us," I chuckled. It had been several hours since we had abandoned the ship and the waters were calming down now. Several of the Pokemon had already departed. I had bound my arm with some of Alliana's rags, which were better than nothing. At least the bleeding had stopped and the pain was not as severe.

"We did it," I said, "we saved the Lapras."

"Yeah," Kameron agreed, "but at what cost?"

AFTERWORD:

Maki and Kiki returned some hours later. The commotion at the boat had drawn the Captain and her minions back to the boat, where they had been attacked by water Pokemon and, well, let's say they would no longer be a hassle. Some had fled into the forest, I would just like to add. Kameron and I returned to the shore side, disgusted at the sights we saw there. Bits of the boat were swept up on the shore, tangled and maimed. 

"Ee VEEE!" Azriel called, pushing something towards us in the sand. A Pokeball.

"You found one!" Kameron shouted in excitement, "which one I wonder." He released it.

"Marrill rill!" The Marill barrelled into Kameron, almost bowling him over.

"Marrill, Ozmos, would you two be able to search the water and see if you can find the rest of Kameron's Pokemon?" I asked.

"Ma rriilll!"

"Va por?"

"King u dora!" Something dragged itself onto the sand beside us and deposited something on the ground. It was a very large, dragon-like water Pokemon. Its snout had elongated, its ear fins become longer and thinner and the fins had merged to become one, but I recognised it immediately.

"RaZOR!" Despite my injuries and the fact my mind was still a little fuzzy, I ran up to the sea dragon Pokemon and threw my arms around it. He drew back a little and gave me a "I'm too refined for that" look, but I knew he was secretly pleased. "You evolved!"

"Do RA!"

"My Pokeballs," Kameron exclaimed, "he returned my Pokeballs, come on out, all of you!"

"Freeee!!"

"_Shaaaa_."

"Slash!"

"You're all okay!" My Pokemon enthusiastically welcomed Kameron's back.

I stared at Razor the Kingudora. "How are you?" I asked him. "Because if you want to come back to me, I would welcome you, but if you want to be free, that's fine too."

Razor glanced at the water and then at me.

"Doraaa," he said, nuzzling me and blowing a small bubble to burst in my face. "Kinguu." He turned to stare back at the waters.

"It's okay," I said to him, "you can go free, living in a ball is not much of a life for you anyway."

"Doraa."

"I'll miss you too." I hugged him and watched as he returned to the water, I then turned back to Kameron.

"You fool," he said, softly.

"What? He wanted to be free!"

"You could have at least got us a ride out of here!"

I threw some sand at him, "we've got Dragosi, he'll take us to the next island."

"Praaaasss?" Something else curved through the water and came up beside us. ("What about me?")

I laughed, "Nessie, you came back! Thank you!"

"Praaaassss!"

"Nessie will carry us to Mandarin Island, won't you Nessie? And then we'll send someone over here to pick up the survivors."

"Prass!" Nessie nodded.

"Well then, let's go, all aboard who's coming aboard, and all who wants to rest in their balls, come back in!"

And once again, Kameron and I were together again, crossing the seas. But this time it was with victory in our hearts, but a deeper sorrow in our souls.


	6. Song of the Lapras

# Song of the Lapras

"It's good to be able to relax," I said to Kameron. The two of us were stretched out on towels, by the ocean side. We had finally made it to Mandarin Island. I had received attention for my injury, my Pokemon had received treatment for theirs and the police force had collected the people that had been stranded on the island. All in all, I was quite relieved to not have to worry about anything.

Maki and Kiki finished building a sandcastle at my feet and proceeded to play tag up and down the beach whilst Azriel bounced along behind, trying to catch them. Other times, he would illustriously stalk Chiko's head plume (which still had a nice hole straight through it, although she no longer seemed to mind), until she snapped at him to leave it alone. Shadeon lay stretched out beside Kameron, under the shelter of a sun umbrella, for the bright sun hurt her, and watched sleepily as the little Eevee romped. Ozmos scavenged up and down the beach, and I suspected she must have been begging food from other beach goers like myself for she was certainly getting plumper. Florion followed her, a dedicated partner. I rolled over and smiled at Kameron, but he had fallen asleep, Shadeon snoring beside him. Well, if that was the way it was, I might as well go for a walk. I hadn't seen my Makimurs for a while after all.

I kissed Kameron on the forehead and wandered off, trusting Shadeon to guard my stuff. She had very sharp hearing even when she was asleep. Further out in the waters I could make out the shape of Nessie, and I knew Marrill would be out there with her too. So who was missing? Shrubslash was sleeping in his Pokeball, Dragosi had gone off on some personal errand, possibly fishing, and Dancer sat on the sun umbrella, bathing her wings under the sunlight. Yes, everyone seemed happy.

Suddenly I realised there was laughter and a small crowd up ahead. Azriel immediately bounded over and begged to be picked up, so I caught him, he lay across my shoulder and breathed heavily in my ear. "Ee vee!"

"What's going on, Az?" I asked him. But I didn't need his answer – because now I could see. Maki and Kiki were doing tricks. Kiki had found three seashells and clambered on Maki's shoulders, and here she was, juggling. Juggling extremely badly, but noone seemed to mind. Chiko darted back and forth, scooping up the shells when she dropped them and flicking them back to her.

"Aren't they great?" Somebody asked me. "I wonder what they are."

"They're Makimurs," I replied, "they're my friends."

The person chuckled, "yeah right."

Azriel glared at them. "Ee VEE!" He said, agreeing with me.

Kiki looked up and saw me. "Maki MURR!" She shrieked delightedly, pushing herself off Maki's shoulders (which sent him sprawling in the sand), she made an enormous leap at me, and missed of course, falling short by several metres. Not that she minded for she simply leapt off the onlooker she had landed on, leaping onto the next and then into me. The force almost sent me sprawling into the sand and when Azriel decided to worm around and greet her enthusiastically I was more than ready to drop them both!

"Now do you believe me?" I asked, chuckling.

Maki had recovered and also bounded over to me, in the same fashion. And suddenly I had my arms filled with Pokemon. I put them all on the ground. "Okay guys, that's enough."

More reserved, Chiko trotted over. "Chi?" She said, grinning.

Now, of course, the attention turned to me and I found myself surrounded by quite a few young folk, all assaulting me with questions about my Pokemon.

"No," I said, "I did not train them that, I am not with a zoo and I am not selling them. Nor can I tell you where they came from! All I can tell you is that they are Makimurs, a psychic grass type Pokemon and they are my friends!"

"Maki ki!"

Eventually the crowds dispersed and I heard a voice behind me.

"Excuse me, are you the Trainer of these Pokemon?"

I found myself facing a rather attractive woman with an impressive cleavage.

"I am, kind of, my name is Kataryna Lemusu. I'm more a Watcher and Researcher then a Trainer though."

She proferred her hand to me. "My name is Lorrelei, I am a Trainer of Ice Pokemon. You may have heard of me."

Something in my memory clicked. "You're one of the Elite Four!" Even though I did not agree with battling Pokemon and all, I was still somewhat in awe of it.

She smiled, unsurprised by my reaction and unoffended. "Indeed I am, this is where I come for my vacation." She grinned, "it is a good break away from the rigours of being a Pokemon Master."

"I know," I replied, "and I'm not a Master."

"Oh, I have heard of you," she said, which surprised me. "You're the one that saved the Lapras, which is another reason I'm here. To study them, for they are Ice Type Pokemon."

"That's why I was here," I said, "but we seem to have lost them."

Lorrelei nodded. "Nobody knows where the Lapras go to breed, except that it is somewhere in this area. It does not appear to be an island, for there has never been one found, so it is a complete mystery."

"Maki ki."

"Murr."

"Oh, sorry guys! Lorrelei, this is Maki and Kiki, my Makimur, Azriel and Chiko."

"Chiko!"

"Ee vee."

Lorrelei smiled at each of them. "Pleased to meet you all," she said to each of them. "So you have done some Lapras study too, I take it?" She asked me.

"Umm, not really," and I explained to her, in brief, the nature of my trip so far and how since arriving in Mandarin Island I had been recouperating from my injury. As we talked we were gradually moving closer to where Kameron and I had been sunbathing.

"You certainly do have disturbing adventures," she said when I had finished, "you're very lucky to have survived that one, many Lapras did not." She stared out to sea, sadly.

"I know," I replied, "I'm just glad I helped. Anyway, this is my friend Kameron and these are out Pokemon. We thought they'd like some sun too. Kameron, this is Lorrelei."

Kameron, now awake, sputtered a little, seeming to become aware that he was wearing just his shorts and in the presence of one of the true Pokemon Masters. He seemed rather embarrassed. "Um, well hi there," he said brightly. I could see his eyes straying to her assets. I scowled at him.

At that moment, I realised that Lorrelei was paying no attention to either of us, because she had seen Ozmos and Florion, who were coming leaping over the driftwood to see what the excitement was about. Suddenly I felt very self-conscious about my Vaporeon.

"As I said," I told her, "I'm not really a Trainer, so, well, some of my Pokemon are not exactly in the best of fitness."

"Flori!" 

"No offense Florion," I replied, knowing he was very protective of his Vaporeon love.

"Hrmm," Lorrelei pondered, "Vaporeon's are such pretty creatures aren't they?" I wondered if she had even heard me. Ozmos bounded over to her and began sniffing her hands. 

"Por?"

"Flor!"

"She is a fine specimen," the Ice Master said to me, surprising me. "But somewhat unusual, with the fins."

"Oh," I replied, "Ozmos is special, she came from Lake Eerie. But she is just a tad overweight."

Lorrelei frowned and stroked Ozmos. "I think you are mistaken there," she turned and looked at me, "it appears your Vaporeon is, as we say, in the family way!"

My jaw must have dropped and suddenly all eyes turned and stared at Florion, who much to his credit, sat there and held his head up proudly.

"Flori!"

"You mean Ozmos is going to have pups?" I asked, somewhat stupidly, but I had to confirm things.

"Oh yes," she replied, "in about six weeks, by my guess."

Well, that explained a lot – Florion's over protectiveness, how she suddenly seemed to be getting fatter. I felt most embarrassed. How come I hadn't put two and two together. More to the point, how hadn't Kameron? I glanced at him, he shuffled his feet.

"You knew?"

"Um, no!" He quickly defended himself, "but I did suspect."

"And you never told me?" I must have been shooting daggers at him with my gaze.

"Va POR!" Ozmos interrupted.

"I'm sorry," I replied, "I'm just so excited and… a little embarrassed."

Lorrelei smiled at me, "don't be embarrassed," she said, "it's hard for Trainers to realise, and most Pokemon do not breed whilst in the hands of Trainers, I think your Pokemon must trust you very much indeed."

"Maki mur!"

"I think they do too. Is there anything special I shall have to do for Ozmos?"

"She'll do most of the hard work herself," she replied, smiling, "all you'll have to do is keep her out of battles and get her somewhere safe when she's due. And feed her lots of nutritious food!"

"Por!"

"Florion will look after her too, won't you?" I roughed up the fur on his back. "You're going to be a Dad!"

"Ion!" He licked me, then licked Ozmos.

Kameron smiled and put his arm around me. "Isn't this fantastic?"

Lorrelei chuckled, "there was something I wanted to ask of you two," she said. "I understand you have quite a reputation and that you, Kataryna, have a Lapras. Yes?"

"We have a reputation!" Kameron exclaimed, "really? Wow!"

I tried to keep serious. "Yes, I have Nessie."

"It has been something of a mystery to us why the Lapras come here to breed and where they do it," she said. "Now, it is also known that Lapras are extremely rare, and the best way to save something is to understand it better. So…"

"You want us to find where they breed," I finished for her. "I'd be glad to! But what about Ozmos, should she travel in her state?"

The Ice Elite smiled. "I shall look after Ozmos and Florion in my estate, they shall be in good hands."

"Thanks!" I exclaimed, "I would love to study the Lapras." I walked down to the water's edge and whistled, calling Nessie in from the water. Marrill bounced in first, the sand sticking to her and making her look a little like the world's weirdest lamington. Nessie followed behind, looking much more dignified.

"Preeeeas!" She trilled in greeting. I walked up and hugged her an Lorrelei came up beside me.

"Greetings," she said, and then she turned to me. "There are many mysteries that surround the Lapras, not just there Breeding Grounds, but other such things. For example, all Lapras that have been captured and studied are female, and although there are few of these, it makes you wonder it, perhaps, that is why the species is so rare." She patted Nessie on the nose. Strangely enough the huge Pokemon seemed to take an instant trust in her, as though it knew she was not dangerous. "Secondly, some Lapras are known to be able to talk telepathically, but not all. At what age do they learn this skill and why? They are not a psychic Pokemon."

"La preee!" Nessie seemed to enjoy the attention.

"You know," she pondered onwards. "This Lapras seems familiar. I think perhaps I met one like it some years ago, with a boy named…" She snapped her fingers trying to remember. "Ash! Yes, it was Ash."

"My second cousin," I replied. "Really, you were his Lapras?"

"Praaa!" Nessie nodded.

"Coincedences never cease," I muttered. "Nessie, would you be willing to take us with you to your breeding grounds?"

"Prass." She seemed doubtful.

"She will want to breed," Lorrelei said, "before, when Ash found her, she was just a baby, leaving the Breeding Grounds, for the first time. Now she has spent four or five years out in the open sea and she is ready to breed herself. Perhaps. I do not know exactly!"

"I do," I replied, "and that is as much as I can guess too."

Lorrelei looked startled, "you're able to understand them at your age? You're doing better than I managed!"

I shrugged, "let's say I had help."

"And you _still _didn't realise your Vaporeon was pregnant," she chuckled. "You're an enigma, child!"

"Well, she didn't tell me!" I said, a little irritated. And a lot embarrassed. "Look Nessie, if we go with you to your Breeding Grounds we can learn more about you, and then it might be harder for people to kill you and your kin. If we understand you, we can save you!"

The Lapras stared at the skies for a moment, as though pondering. "Prasss!" She finally agreed.

I jumped up and gave her a big hug. "Thank you, you're wonderful! Now, rest a while whilst we go and get supplies, we might be away a long while!"

Lorrelei smiled at me. "Don't worry about Ozmos and Florion, they'll be safe in my Holiday Estate."

"I know, maybe they'll learn something too."

"You never know." And she smiled slyly.

* * *

The skies was a gorgeous sheen of blue that melded almost perfectly into the green of the ocean. Kameron and I sat astride Nessie's broad back, Azriel in his lap, Chiko in mine. It seemed oddly quiet without Florion and Ozmos, even though Azriel's antics were a source of much amusement. Kiki and Maki sat on Nessie's head and shrieked in excitement everytime a bird flew over. Suddenly a pod of Dolfins seemed to materialise around us, diving and frolicking through the water, trilling

"Dolllll ololol!" at Lapras.

Nessie trilled back.

"They're such pretty beasts," Kameron remarked. "Don't you ever wonder why Trainers don't catch them?"

I shrugged, "I think they're too smart to allow themselves to be caught. And besides, who would want an Orka?"

"Who would want a Gyrados, yet people catch Magikarps all the time."

"I guess they're just not as well known," I concluded.

"Ol olol finnnn!" One trilled, racing Nessie.

Our other Pokemon rested in their Pokeballs. They had no love of the water. Except Marrill, who sat above the Lapras's tail and kept bouncing off into the ocean.

Suddenly a thick mist filled the air, like rain, very gentle rain. Remembering my fear of high waves (gee, I wonder where that fear came from?!) Kameron held me close to him, although the waves did not reach any great height anyways. The Dolfins dipped and dived away from view. Everything became still and quiet. Suddenly, Nessie stopped and lifting her head up, she began singing.

"Praaaaasss prasss!" It was eerie, melodic, beautiful… I felt my heart soar with longing. Kameron grasped my hand in his as we listened to her song. Even Azriel and Maki were silent, in awe.

And the clouds seemed to roll apart, the light shimmering through, radiating through the water droplets in a gorgeous, fantastic rainbow of colours. And Nessie lowered her head, and swam into in.

Suddenly, there was an explosion of colour around us, bright reds and golds and blues. And Lapras was swimming across a strange sea. The water seemed almost golden and the land that materialised up above, was hued with reds. The sky above, seemed particularly, unnaturally blue, almost too bright. It was like stepping into a story book. Strange birds, with bright plumage, whirled above us.

"Where are we?" I asked.

__

In the place that time forgot, the sacred breeding grounds of the Lapras.

"Who said that?" I looked around wildly, although the voice was in my head.

__

I did, Nessie turned to look at me. Or turned her head anyway. _This is our Breeding Ground, you are greatly privileged to be here._

"I know," I replied, "thank you for giving us the honour. But how is it that here you can talk?"

__

You saved my people and I thank you. And I have always been able to talk, you have just not been able to listen. 

With that, the large Pokemon lowered her head and swam swiftly across the golden waters to shore. Something came out of the water in front of her. It was serpentine, with a pair of tufted ears, dark eyes and a stone at the base of its neck. It lowered its head and made a strange, almost cooing, noise.

"What is that?" Kameron whispered to me.

"I don't know, don't you have a Pokedex?"

"Oh yeah." Kameron fetched the dented and water damaged Pokedex from his pocket and pointed it at the creature.

"Dragonaire," the voice said, "this Pokemon has not been seen for many centuries."

"I don't think that's quite right!" Kameron exclaimed.

"Shh, look!" I pointed. Nessie was lowering her head and cooing back at the Dragonaire. "It's some sort of greeting ritual."

__

Introduce yourself, Nessie said to us. 

"I'm Kataryna Lemusu," I said, "and this is Kameron Khristensen."

__

Welcome to our breeding grounds, came another, different mental voice. This one was deeper, masculine. _You are priveliged to be here._

"I know," I replied.

__

Very well, come with me. The Dragonaire dived beneath the water and swam towards the shore, occasionally darting back to nudge Nessie. The place was so still and calm and oddly beautiful.

"Why do you think there are Dragonaire here?" I asked Kameron. "Do you think this is perhaps where they might be hiding?"

I was to find out that the truth was even stranger.

Nessie swam ashore and we clambered off. Maki and Kiki immediately leapt onto my shoulders. The Isle was marvellous – huge trees with bright flowers surrounded us, and on some grew tasty looking fruits not unlike pineapples. Azriel darted off, chasing some sort of small insect.

"Well," I said, "we're here."

__

I must leave you now, Nessie sent to us_, I must go and seek a mate, I am here late and only a few may be left._

"Lorrelei said they'd never found a male Lapras, is this where they hide?"

Nessie seemed to ponder this. _Yes, and no,_ she replied, _there are no male Lapras, but this is where they hide._

Well, I was confused!

"Chiko chikorita!" Chiko chimed to me as she trotted around in the sand, sniffing at something. A Lapras was near her, digging a hole with her front flippers. It breathed cold air at her, scaring her away.

"I guess we go and make camp," Kameron ventured. We watched Nessie slide into the water and away. I glanced at Kameron. 

He recognised immediately the look in my eyes. "You aren't?" He said.

"Of course not," I replied, "I'm just going to find some food, you go make camp!"

The young man gave me a long look. "If you say so my friend," he said softly. "Come on guys!"

So Kameron ducked off and I followed Nessie. As they say, curiousity killed the Kat and I wanted to know what exactly was going on. Nobody had even seen a male Lapras and Nessie's comment had befuddled me. I had seen the way she had left, so carefully picked my way along the seashore, through the undergrowth which seemed to actually reach into the water.

Everything here was a tad unusual, the undergrowth was brightly coloured, and in occasion, barbed, and snared in my clothing. Strange creatures, the likes of which I had never seen before scurried through the undergrowth, startled by my passage.

Suddenly a high trilling call which my ears. It was beautiful, eerie and had an etheral quality. My heart caught in my throat with the sheer melody of it.

And then another voice joined in, lower, but no less etheral, no less beautiful.

The sound brought tears of joy to my eyes, I walked closer.

Peering through the undergrowth I saw a lake, calm, serene, the sunlight reflecting off the golden waters in a glorious sheen. 

Nessie sat in the middle of the golden waters, her head raised high to the sky, singing beautifully. Occasionally she would dip her long neck so that her head entered the water and then bring it up, spraying droplets like molten gold through the air. But who was her singing companion? I had not seen it yet.

Suddenly a head with a pair of tufted ears rose from the water. Dark eyes gazed longingly at my Lapras friend. The newcomer rose its head, _his_ head and sang the next part. The jewel on his throat bobbed as his haunting, deep call rolled out across the estuary.

Nessie swam closer to him, singing her part, her voice almost ghost-like. As she neared him he dipped his head in the water, bringing his serpentine body around to bathe her in a shower of golden droplets that clung to her head like molten gold.

She lowered her head, touching the Dragonaire on the nose, and they suddenly began singing together, in duet.

Suddenly I felt an arm around my waist and Kameron was standing there beside me. I had missed him coming, so enraptured was I by the scene. He flashed a smile at me, but we were both unable to tear our eyes away from the spectacle.

Suddenly something happened. There was a sudden shake and I tumbled over, sprawling into Kameron. The Lapras and the Dragonaire trilled in alarm, diving beneath the water in fear. The bright sky seemed to turn a dark purple.

__

"There is much danger here," I heard something say, _"you must hide whilst you can_."

Kameron turned to stare at me. "There is a great danger coming," he said, his voice steady but sounding disturbed. "We must hide."

"What sort of danger?" What was up, were we some kind of threat beacon? I picked myself off Kameron. Suddenly the ground shook again and the trees dropped their blossoms, bright red, like blood.

"Quickly!" Kameron grabbed my hand, "get out of the forest, to the sea shore!" He grabbed me by the arm and almost dragged me to the lagoon. The golden water was bubbling. Behind us, the trees shed their red flowers and also came the crashing as some toppled.

"What's going on?" I shouted above the racket.

__

"The great bird of the sea has awoken." Someone told me. "_It's wings are disturbing the waters and the island. Soon all but the mountain will be underwater."_

"Who are you?" I asked. "What are you?"

"_A friend_." But still there was nothing to be seen.

"We must go up the mountain," I shouted. 

"But first we must find our Pokemon and tell the Lapras!"

"I know, Kameron, you go find our Pokemon, I'll go to the shore and tell the Lapras." Suddenly something dawned to me. "Their eggs will be destroyed!"

__

"It is the price that must be paid," the voice informed me. _"Go!"_

"Can you hear something?" I asked Kameron.

He shook his head.

"Strange and stranger. Anyway, we've got to get to the hills! Send Dragosi to pick me up."

We parted ways with a quick hug, knowing that once again, a routine(?) venture had turned into an adventure.

I made my way to the sea shore and saw that it was unnecessary to warn the Lapras and Dragonaire, for they were already there. The Lapras were straddling their burrows whilst the Dragonaire stared at the encroaching wall of gold. It flowed very slowly, as though it were not water but something thicker, like syrup or treacle.

"We must move the eggs!" I shouted at them.

__

We are built to protect the eggs, but not move them, a Lapras replied. _Although we thank you for your concern._

"There must be something we can do! We have to force that wave outwards!"

__

There is nothing, I was informed, _when the great bird awakens, the water rises and out efforts are destroyed, it is the Way._

"Not if I have anything to say about it! I want to save your eggs. All of you Lapras, Ice Beam the wave, slow it down! Dragonaires, I want you to dig up the eggs and move them."

__

We cannot dig, the more masculine mental voice of a Dragonaire informed me. _They are built for digging, we protect with our Hyper Beams and train the young._

"Well, time to learn! Use your tails and Hyper Beams if you can, to dig up the eggs."

__

We shall try, but your efforts are believed to be futile.

At least they were trying.

The Lapras arranged themselves along the seashore, facing the oncoming wave. They closed their eyes and began trilling. "Prassssss!"

Most of the Dragonaires began digging with their tails and heads, sending sand spraying in all directions. But it was not a lot of good. Suddenly I recognised something fluttering around nearby.

"Dancer, go and get Shrubslash, now!"

"Freeee!" The Butterfree flapped around in the circle and darted away. A moment later she returned, carrying a Pokeball which she deposited at my feet. 

"Okay, Shrubslash, you've got to dig like you've never dug before!"

The ground/grass type Pokemon began slashing at the sand with its long talons. More sand joined the selection in the air. Soon nothing could be seen but flying dust. And nothing could be heard but the chime of the Lapras, freezing the golden tidal wave.

I got on my hands and knees, and began digging in the sand too, hoping that the salvation of the eggs could be made in time. One hand found something hard and smooth and I drew out my first Lapras egg. It was huge, about the size of an ostrich egg and the shell was more rubbery like that of a turtles or snakes, then a birds egg. I drew it out and clasped it to my chest. But I could carry no more than one.

__

We cannot hold it off much longer, one of the Lapras informed me, _human child, you must flee now or your life shall be in great danger!_

"I must help!" I insisted. 

"SIIII!" Through the dust and fragments of golden rain and red flower dust, something large and purple came soaring towards me. 

"Jump on!" Kameron shouted, "the Pokemon are headed for safety, although I have some here!" He patted his belt. I stared up at him.

"I didn't ask you to come too!" I replied.

"I couldn't leave you alone!" He shouted back at me. "Now hop up and let's go."

I stared around at the Dragonaires, some had already disappeared into the water, carrying their precious burdens carefully in their mouths. I took Kameron's proffered hand and he lifted me up onto Dragosi's back.

"What about Shrubslash?" I asked, "and Dancer?" Dancer flapped past carrying an egg clasped to her chest. 

"She'll be fine," Kameron said, "but we better get Shrubslash. Where is he?"

We looked but could not see the ground-grass type Pokemon the dust was just too thick.

__

We're losing it! One of the Lapras sent. _All of you who can, flee, all the rest, duck and brace yourself!_

"Shrubslash!" Kameron cried as Dragosi circled upwards and into the air. Suddenly we saw the mutant Pokemon, he was running for the trees. Kameron immediately drew out his Pokeball, "Shrubslash return!" He shouted.

At that moment the first golden droplets rained heavily down, Dragosi swerved to avoid something rising from the dust in front of him, a tree, and Kameron slipped, as he was leaning over too far to recall his Pokemon. He lurched over the side of the Dragon-fly, grabbing Dragosi's barbs with both hands and dropping the ball in the process. I grabbed one of his hands with my hand, but had to hold the egg with the other.

"Quickly, Dragosi, land!" I shouted, aware that I could not hold Kameron for long. The Dragonfly lurched downwards, landing by the forest's edge in a maelstorm of dust and golden rain. 

"Shrubslash, come here!" Kameron yelled and the strange Pokemon hurried over. In each vine whip he held an egg. 

"Come on!" I shouted, "we have to get on Dragosi, or the wave's going to hit us!"

But it was too late. All we could see was a wave of gold, rippling across the sand sending it spraying up in all directions, causing huge sandclouds. Near us, the ground rippled and trees toppled and fell, crashing into each other like dominoes.

"Get yourself out of here!" I shouted at Dragosi, but his wings were too sodden with the golden rain. He could not get airborne.

"I guess this is it then," Kameron said sadly. "For real this time." I wrapped my arms around him as we stood and watched the wave come closer, so quickly that running would have no effect. The first golden droplets became larger, like someone was throwing paint at us. They stung when they hit. And then the tidal wave washed over us…

Suddenly everything went purple and we seemed to be floating, as though trapped in a

balloon. Dragosi trilled in fear as we found ourselves carried up in what could only be described as a bubble. It bobbed to the surface of the water, like a craft and then was flung several meters, tossed upside down and rightside up as the wave carried it with us. We tumbled against each other, a mass of legs, arms, claws, wings and spines, some of which were extremely painful!

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, everything was calm. I picked myself off Kameron (I'd fallen into him a lot it seemed…) and stared at Dragosi.

"Did you do that?"

The Dragonfly shook his head. He'd been as surprised as we.

"Then who?"

__

"It was I," that voice came again and we looked up to see something jumping up and down on the bubble. Something pink that superficially resembled Mewtwo.

"Who are you?" Kameron asked. He had plainly heard it this time!

Suddenly the bubble lifted into the air, so that we were floating, up the side of the mountain it floated, until we reached a plateau. Here it drifted to a rest, then promptly disappeared so that we all fell over.

The pink Pokemon laughed, doing little flips in the air. It then landed before us.

__

"Do you not know me?" It asked.

"I think I do," I replied, placing the egg carefully on the ground. "You're one of the seven sisters!"

"_Indeed, I am Fenrill, the Sister of the marshes, waterways and ponds, and who might you be?"_ She closed her eyes then continued without waiting for a reply, _"you are Kataryna Lemusu, a runaway; you are Kameron Khristensen, a renagade from Team Rocket; you are Dragosi, a genetically created fossil and you,"_ she blinked her huge blue eyes at Shrubslash in disbelief, _"are the funniest looking Sandslash I ever did see!"_

"Slasssh!" Shrubslash did not seem happy at this. He placed the eggs aside and glared at the Mew. Fenrill created another bubble above his head and leapt up onto it, bouncing in the air and doing a little somersault. The Porcupine Pokemon crouched low and rattled his quills.

"Calm down Shrubslash," Kameron said, stepping forward and patting him on the nose. It seemed to work.

"Okay, Fenrill," I said, "you helped us, and thank you very much, but please don't tease my companions!"

Fenrill did a little flip in the air and bounced away, the bubble breaking with a pop and dousing Shrubslash in little pink gobules. She bounced on the ground to stand in front of me.

__

"You helped my brother," she said, _you helped the Lapras, I sense that you are a Pokemon Friend and now I find myself asking you for help."_ She chased her tail briefly.

I sighed, "how do you want us to help?"

__

"My six sisters and I slept for many years but some time ago we awoke, just as Lugia is awakening again now, but the great bird merely rolls over and goes back to sleep, we however are now wild and free."

I knew what was coming here. "You want me to help find your siblings?"

__

"Yes." Fenrill did a backflip, landing on her tail and floating before us. "_That is right. Some have fallen into the hands of trainers, others into even more terrible places. I can sense them but not reach them, I need your help for that."_

I glanced at Kameron, still comforting his distraught Shrubslash. He shrugged and nodded.

"Do we have a choice?" I asked.

"_There is always the choice,"_ Fenrill bounced, landing on both feet in front of me. _"However, if you chose not to, you shall have the doom of the sisters in your hands."_ She looked downcast, _"please, you helped my brother, please help us! We can't offer you much but we need all the help we can get."_

I glanced at Kameron. "Very well then."

* * *

And so ends "The Lapras Legacy", but keep waiting because soon "The Mew Chronicles" will begin and they will be most interesting indeed!


End file.
